Each year the Japan‑America Society presents the Sun & Star Legacy Award to an individual who has made an exceptional contribution to United States‑Japan relations.

Established in 1998, the award is presented in the spring at the Society's annual Awards Dinner.

The Sun & Star Legacy Award carries on the name of Sun & Star 1996, a major festival of Japanese culture held in Texas in 1996.  Named for Japan's Rising Sun and the Texas Lone Star, the festival strengthened the ties between Japan and Texas through a series of exhibitions, performances, and educational programs.

Recipients of the Sun & Star Legacy Award

2008
Dr. Shoichiro Toyoda
Honorary Chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation


2007
Richard W. Fisher
President and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
photos
 

2006
George Takei
Actor
photos


2005
Masatoshi Ito
Founder & Honorary Chairman, Ito-Yokado Group
photos


2004
The Honorable Norman Y. Mineta
United States Secretary of Transportation
photos


2003
The Honorable Yasuhiro Nakasone
Prime Minister of Japan, 1982-1987 photos


2002
The Honorable Michael H. Armacost               
United States Ambassador to Japan, 1989-1993

2001
The Honorable Daniel K. Inouye
United States Senator from the State of Hawaii, 1962 to present

2000
The Honorable Thomas S. Foley
United States Ambassador to Japan, 1997-2001

1999
The Honorable Hisashi Owada
Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations, 1994-1998

1998
The Honorable Walter F. Mondale
United States Ambassador to Japan, 1993-1996