Japan to Honor Two Vietnamese Leaders
Emperor Naruhito will confer Japan's Order of the Rising Sun on former Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and former Deputy PM Nguyen Chi Dung in Tokyo.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Awards
Japanese Emperor Naruhito will award the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun to former Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star to former Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung, at a ceremony in Tokyo on November 10, 2026. The decorations were announced by the Japanese government on November 3, 2026.
Why it matters
The honors recognize the recipients' contributions to bilateral relations between Japan and Vietnam. The awards follow the 2023 elevation of ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World.
The Japanese government announced the decorations on November 3, 2026, with the Tokyo ceremony scheduled for November 10. Chinh chaired three dialogues with Japanese businesses between March 2025 and March 2026, while Dung has co-chaired the Vietnam-Japan Joint Initiative since his 2016 appointment as planning minister.
The players
Emperor Naruhito
Naruhito is the reigning Emperor of Japan, who succeeded to the Chrysanthemum Throne in 2019 following his father Akihito's abdication.
Pham Minh Chinh
Pham Minh Chinh served as Prime Minister of Vietnam, leading the government's efforts to deepen economic and diplomatic ties with partners including Japan.
Nguyen Chi Dung
Nguyen Chi Dung served as Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam and previously as Minister of Planning and Investment, co-chairing the Vietnam-Japan Joint Initiative.
The details
Chinh receives the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun, while Dung receives the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star. Dung's work included co-chairing conferences with the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) and the Japanese government to improve the investment environment, and he made working visits to Aichi, Mie, Hokkaido and Ibaraki prefectures.
Timeline
2016: Nguyen Chi Dung becomes Minister of Planning and Investment.
2023: Japan and Vietnam elevate relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
March 2025 to March 2026: Pham Minh Chinh chairs three dialogues with Japanese businesses.
November 3, 2026: Japanese government announces the decorations.
November 10, 2026: Ceremony in Tokyo conferring the decorations.
Season Trajectory
The honors are tied to the 2023 Japan-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World, which elevated bilateral relations to a higher tier. The recognition rewards officials whose economic and investment work underpinned that upgrade.
The ceremony is a formal diplomatic event with no public admission details in the source. For readers following Japan-Vietnam relations, the awards mark a recognized milestone in ties between the two governments.
The takeaway
Official state honors often signal the continuity of bilateral agreements across changes in government. These decorations show how individual officials' work on economic cooperation can be formally recognized at the highest level of a partner nation.
What happens next
The Tokyo ceremony conferring the decorations is scheduled for November 10, 2026.
Further reading
Explore more recognitions in our Awards section.
