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The Emperor of Japan has bestowed the Order of the Rising Sun with Golden Rays upon former HUD Secretary and San Antonio Mayor Henry Cisneros.
It's one of the highest awards the nation can give to a non-citizen of Japan. The award honors Cisneros for his work to advance Japan-U.S. relations.
In the 1980s, Cisneros began a formal relationship with Japan which included annual delegations to introduce San Antonio to officials from the Japanese business, educational and governmental arenas.
Those trips resulted in a Sister City agreement with Kumamoto City in Japan, along with new partnerships and investments, including the establishment of a Toyota plant and its 21 supplier firms in San Antonio.
Cisneros told TPR he was "pleased" and "uplifted" to receive the honor, which came as a surprise: "I think it speaks to the respectful relationship that we've had between San Antonio and Japan and that is an important priority. Courtesy and constructive dialogue are very important in Japanese culture and San Antonio has excelled at that."
Cisneros said "it's very much a family" — not just business between Japan and the Alamo City.
Cisneros has also served as chairman of the Shirane Foundation, which sponsors scholarships for U.S. students to study in Japan.
