Order of the Precious Crown

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The Order of the Precious Crown (宝冠章) is a Japanese order, established on January 4, 1888 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. Originally the order had five classes, but on April 13, 1896 the sixth, seventh and eighth classes were added.

The order is reserved for females (men may be awarded the Order of the Rising Sun instead); the first class is normally conferred to female royalty. Unlike its European counterparts, the order may be conferred posthumously.

The order consists of eight classes.

The badge of the order is a gold oval medallion, with floral designs at its four ends; at the centre is an ancient Japanese crown on a blue background, surrounded by a red ring. It is suspended from a smaller badge, its design varies according to class, on a ribbon in yellow with red stripes near the borders, as a sash on the right shoulder for the 1st class, as a bow on the left shoulder for the other classes.

The star of the order, which is worn only by the first class, has five arms studded with pearl, with floral designs between the arms. The central disc features a Ho-o or phoenix on a blue background, surrounded by a red ring.

[edit] The order after the 2003 reform

In 2003 the Order of the Rising Sun, previously reserved for males, were made available to women as well. This means the Order of the Precious Crown will hereafter be conferred only on foreign female dignitaries.