A ceremony was held at the Japan Imperial in Tokyo on November 7 to present the Order of the Rising Sun – the most distinguished order of Japan to Vietnam’s former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai.

Mr Khai received the order from the Emperor of Japan and the certificate from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

This is the first time in the history of Japan that the Emperor himself presented the Order of the Rising Sun to a former foreign official who had greatly contributed to the development of cooperative relations with Japan.

After the ceremony, PM Khai was received by the Emperor of Japan and posed for a commemorative photograph.