The Order of Culture, the nation's top honor in the areas of culture and science, was awarded Thursday to 94-year-old physician Shigeaki Hinohara, chairman of the board of St. Luke's International Hospital in Tokyo.</PARAGRAPH> <PHOTO> <TABLE WIDTH='200' ALIGN='RIGHT' BORDER='0'> <TR> <TD><IMG ALT='News photo' BORDER='0' SRC='/images/photos2005/nn20051104a4a.jpg' WIDTH='200' HEIGHT='130'/></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD><FONT SIZE='1'><B>Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi chats with Order of Culture recipients Shigeaki Hinohara and Mitsuko Mori after an awards ceremony at the Imperial Palace. </B></FONT></TD> </TR> <TABLE> </PHOTO> <PARAGRAPH>Also honored by Emperor Akihito in a ceremony at the Imperial Palace were actress Mitsuko Mori, 85; ceramics artist Ryuzan Aoki, 79; Makoto Saito, professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo and an expert on U.S. diplomatic history, 84; and Kyoto University professor emeritus Toshio Sawada, an expert on agricultural engineering, 86.</PARAGRAPH> <PARAGRAPH>'We are of the mind to continue to devote ourselves to our respective fields for the rest of our lives,' Hinohara, representing the five, said after the awards were bestowed.</PARAGRAPH> <PARAGRAPH>In response, the Emperor wished all of them continued success. </PARAGRAPH> <PARAGRAPH>During a news conference after the ceremony, Hinohara described the morning as 'the most delightful I have ever experienced,' while Aoki said it was his family, friends and predecessors that made it possible for him to receive the honor. </PARAGRAPH> <SUBHEAD> 4,028 to be honored</SUBHEAD> <PARAGRAPH> A record 1,706 people in the private sector will be honored this autumn for contributions to the nation and society, the government announced Thursday.</PARAGRAPH> <PARAGRAPH>Private-sector recipients account for about 42 percent of the 4,028 Japanese and foreign nationals who will be honored with the Order of the Rising Sun and the Order of the Sacred Treasure, the government said.</PARAGRAPH> <PARAGRAPH>This year 330 women, 8.2 percent of the total, will receive awards.</PARAGRAPH> <PARAGRAPH>The highest honor, the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun, will be given to eight people including former Japanese Trade Union Confederation –

President Jinnosuke Ashida, 71, for his contribution to the labor movement.

Other recipients of the order are Minoru Makihara, 75, former chairman of Mitsubishi Corp., and former Justice Minister Shozaburo Nakamura, 71.

Honors will go to 31 foreign nationals from 24 countries and regions.

Michael Rogowski, 66, former president of BDI, Germany's main business federation, will be awarded the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun. He was recognized for helping to deepen economic ties between Japan and Germany.

The nation's second highest accolade -- the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure -- will be awarded to Masao Tobari, 71, former head of the National Diet Library.

Among recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon are ceramic artist Kakiemon Sakaida, 71.