Bill and Melinda Gates
The government of Japan announced on April 29 that it awarded the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun to Microsoft co-founder and co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates. This is in recognition of Gates’ contributions to Japan and the world in regards to worldwide technological transformation and advancement of global health.
In a news release, the government of Japan said Gates “helped bring about a global technological revolution that dramatically changed society’s means of interaction, ushering in a new era where people all over the world can have access to information and communication. Japan is a big beneficiary of such a transformation.; Microsoft Japan, the first overseas office for the company, has produced many computer engineers who later developed and shaped Japan’s computer industry.”
The news release also noted Gates’ work in the field of global health. “His personal involvement was pivotal in promoting the global health agenda at the Hokkaido Toyako G8 Ssummit in 2008,” the release said. “The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, established following Japan’s proposal at the Kyushu, Okinawa G8 Summit of 2000; the Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize; and the Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT) are but a few examples of his close cooperation with Japan.”