Okuma Chairman Junro Kashiwa received The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon, in a fall 2007 conferment ceremony. 
Mr. Kashiwa retired as President of Okuma in 2004. This honor was conferred on him for his contributions to society through the development of Okuma's business as a comprehensive manufacturer of machine tools, and his achievements for the Japan Machine Tool Builders' Association and the industry as a whole. 

Comment by Junro Kashiwa
It is a surprise and a privilege to receive The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon, and I am profoundly moved by this undeserved honor.
In fact it has been more than 40 years since I started to work at Okuma, and I have made earnest, although surely inadequate, efforts for the development of machine tools, always striving for "monozukuri that customers can trust."
Receipt of this award does not simply reflect on me personally; I am deeply grateful to the many people before me and my colleagues who worked to advance machine tools, and to the guidance and support I have received from so many people over these long years.
This honor will serve as incentive to devote myself with renewed vigor to the development of "Japanese monozukuri" in the future.