The award was presented by Vu Xuan Hong, Chairman of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations in Hanoi on August 24.

The award is in recognition of Mr Masami’s effective contributions to exchanges in fine arts and culture, and especially charity activities between the people of Vietnam and Japan over the past 15 years.

During his August, 1996 visit, Mr Masami had the chance to witness the plight of many children afflicted with Agent Orange/dioxin in Hanoi and the central city of Hue.

Their gloomy outlook prompted him to launch a number of fact-finding tours of Vietnam for Japanese people to help them understand more about AO victims in the country.

He successfully operated 13 tours, attracting 168 Japanese people, during which he assisted nine AO victims in Hoa Binh village, Hanoi to have surgery and worked with other Japanese organisations to raise funds for Vietnamese AO victims.

Annually, he grants ethnic high-school scholarships in Hanoi and the highland province of Phu Tho.

Addressing the award ceremony, Mr Masami expressed his honour to receive the noble award, saying he always wishes to share his experiences of wars in Vietnam with Japanese people and bring happiness to Vietnamese children.