On Nov. 3 (Japan Standard Time),?? ??? the Government of Japan announced the recipients of its Fall 2024 Decorations.
From the jurisdiction of the Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles, the following distinguished persons were awarded.
Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays — Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, 75, of Los Angeles, owner of Matsuhisa restaurant group and joint owner of Nobu.
Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold and Silver Rays — Brian Swords, 63, of Ladera Ranch, former local employee of Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles.
Details of the presentation ceremonies will be announced at a later date.
Nobuyuki Matsuhisais a chef who has been working for over 50 years to promote Japanese food overseas, and he has a reputation for providing creative menus that incorporate ingredients and cooking methods from various countries, based on traditional Japanese cooking techniques.
After opening Matsuhisa in Los Angeles in 1987, he opened Nobu in New York in 1994 with actor Robert De Niro, and since then he has continued to open Japanese restaurants around the world, contributing to the spread of Japanese food around the world. He is noted to have an influence on the attractiveness of the city; as the famous singer and actor Madonna once said, “You can tell how much fun a city is going to be if Nobu has a restaurant in it.”
In addition to publishing several books about his restaurants and cuisine, Matsuhisa has also appeared in Hollywood films and commercials, and has a high profile in the media not only in the U.S. but around the world.
After training for seven years at a sushi restaurant in Tokyo, at the age of 24 he moved
to Peru to open a sushi restaurant. Although he experienced difficulties in Buenos Aires
and Alaska, in 1987 he opened the restaurant Matsuhisa in Los Angeles. At a time when it
was common for diners to choose from a set menu, he gained popularity with his signature “omakase” menu, where he would talk to the customers and provide them with dishes made from the ingredients that had arrived that day, responding flexibly to their reactions.
About six months after opening, the restaurant was featured in the local newspapers The Los Angeles Timesand L.A. Weekly, and two years later he was selected as one of the top 10 chefs to watch in America by the magazine Food & Wine.
In its third year, it was listed in the American restaurant guide Zagat Survey and became a popular restaurant that received high praise. In 1993, The New York Timesalso selected it as one of the world’s top ten restaurants.
Through this business, Matsuhisa attracted many celebrities in Hollywood. At the invitation of one of them, De Niro, he opened a joint venture restaurant called Nobu in New York in 1994. Including the restaurants under license agreement, there are now 55 branches of this famous restaurant worldwide, and when you include Matsuhisa, there are over 60 branches worldwide that are affiliated with him.
In 2013, the Nobu Hotel opened in Las Vegas, where the Nobu concept was reflected in the hotel service, and there are currently 19 Nobu hotels.
In January 2024, he was in charge of the food at the 81st Golden Globe Awards ceremony held in Los Angeles. The ceremony is known for being held every year at the Beverly Hilton Hotel with a glamorous dinner.
While based on traditional Japanese cuisine techniques, Matsuhisa has always offered Japanese food that is full of creativity, incorporating ingredients and techniques from various countries. In May 2007, he was awarded the Minister’s Award for Overseas Promotion of Japanese Food by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries for his achievements, and in 2022, he was awarded the Commissioner for Cultural Affairs Award by the Government of Japan.
Brian Swordsjoined the Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles on May 1, 1989 as a local employee and served for more than 33 years until his retirement on Jan. 31, 2023, making significant contributions to the development of Japan-U.S. economic relations.
In the Economic Affairs division, Swords developed long-term cooperative relationships with economic organizations in California, including the Milken Institute, a nonprofit think tank, the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, and the World Trade Center Los Angeles, to promote trade and investment between Japan and the U.S.
In addition, Swords established a founding relationship with VerdeX-change, an environmental think tank that hosts international conferences in California, a pioneer in climate policies, for market leaders to meet and advance the global clean energy economy.
Through this collaboration, Swords has worked to increase awareness of green technology and expand business opportunities for Japanese companies for 17 years since 2005.
In addition to his work in the Economic Affairs division, Swords contributed greatly to the overall activities of the Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles. He was involved in a wide variety of duties and actively supported other divisions, including handling inquiries about Japanese domestic and diplomatic affairs with the Policy and Partnerships division and building relationships with former U.S. military personnel who served at U.S. bases in Japan.
Swords retired from the consulate on Jan. 31, 2023, and currently works as a freelance business consultant helping Japanese companies expand their business in the U.S. He also lectures on the Japanese economy as a guest lecturer at the UCLA Anderson School of Business and Saddleback Community College. Through such activities, he continues to work to promote understanding of U.S.-Japan relations among a wide range of generations of Americans.