Empress Attends Nightingale Medal Award Ceremony in Tokyo

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:18 JST, July 28, 2023

The Empress attended a Florence Nightingale Medal award ceremony in Minato Ward, Tokyo, on Thursday.

The Empress is the honorary president of the Japanese Red Cross Society. The biennial award — now in its 49th iteration — is administered by the International Committee of the Red Cross and honors individuals who have made outstanding achievements in the field of nursing and other related activities.

The Empress presented three Japanese winners — Tomoko Kusama, Miki Takahara and Setsuko Imamura — with a medal and an award certificate.

Kusama, 81, is professor emeritus at Tokyo Healthcare University and active in the area of public health and nursing education. Takahara, 57, is the deputy nursing director at Japanese Red Cross Society Himeji Hospital and has made contributions in support of conflict and disaster areas. Imamura, 98, is an advisor at Kagoshima Central Nursing School and has devoted herself to nursing education.

The ceremony was also attended by Princess Hanako of Hitachi and Princess Nobuko of Mikasa, both of whom are honorary vice presidents of the society.

Crown Princess Kiko, also honorary vice president of the society, was absent as she is recuperating from COVID-19.