Remarks of Consul-General Sobashima to Prof. Neustupny 29/11/2013
It is my honor and pleasure to present on behalf of the Government of Japan to Prof. Jiri Vaclav Neustupny, the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon from the Emperor of Japan.
We appreciate that Professor Neustupny contributed to the Japanese language education and Japanese studies for 38 years both in Australia and Japan at universities of Monash, Osaka, Chiba and Oberlin.
We appreciate that, while working at Monash University for 27 years, the Professor contributed to the establishment of the Japanese Studies Centre, among other accomplishments.
We appreciate the Professor’s 11 year contributions in Japan, and remember that he became the first foreigner full professor at a national university in Japan.
We appreciate the Professor’s various substantive contributions in Japanese language education, including attaching importance to the aspect of intercultural communication at the time when teachers of Japanese were concentrating on the grammar.
We note that the many students of Prof. Neustupny are now also contributing to Japanese language education and Japanese studies all over the world.
Thus I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Prof. Neustupny for his great achievements and it is my pleasure to join the Professor, Mrs Neustupny and their family and close friends in celebrating the decoration from the Emperor of Japan here.
Now I will read the English translation of the patent of decoration first, and then read the original patent in Japanese for the presentation
.- - - -
Congratulations!