Taiwan's Representative to Japan Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) presented the Ministry of Culture's Taiwanese Cultural Collaboration Medal to the Representative Director of the Eastern Culture Foundation, Yoshihisa Nakano, at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan on Nov. 19.

Nakano expressed that he just had his 77th birthday, and he was happy to hear that he was the only Japanese person to receive the medal, as well as the news of him being reappointed as international affairs consultant by the Ministry of Culture.

In order to commemorate the centenary of the establishment of the Taiwan Cultural Association and highlight the spirit of the Cultural Association, the Ministry of Culture encourages people from all walks of life to support the growth of cultural autonomy. According to the new "Regulations for the Conferral of the Taiwanese Cultural Collaboration Medal," the MOC will confer awards to individuals who have long contributed to the promotion of cultural and artistic work.

After being recommended by relevant units, the selection committee formed by the MOC selects a total of 90 recipients for the Taiwanese Cultural Collaboration Medal through preliminary review and final review to commend those who contributed to the cultivation of Taiwanese culture in various fields.

The Taiwanese Cultural Collaboration Medal Conferment Ceremony for Taiwan was held on Nov. 11. The Minister of Culture Lee Yung-te presented the awards to the winners, and Premier Su Tseng-chang (苏振昌) also attended the ceremony to show his respect to the 90 recipients of the medal for their long-term contributions to Taiwan's cultural and artistic development.

Yoshihisa Nakano used to be the president of the well-established Japanese logistics store Warehouse TERRADA (寺田倉庫) in addition to being an international affairs consultant for the Ministry of Culture. The medal was presented to Nakano for his efforts in the digital restoration and preservation of classic Taiwanese films.