The head of the Lithuanian Art Museum, Arūnas Gelūnas, has been awarded the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun with a Gold and Silver Star, the Japanese Embassy in Lithuania announced on Wednesday.
The Order of the Japanese Government is awarded to the former Minister of Culture, Ambassador to UNESCO, Member of the Seimas for his services in strengthening relations between Japan and Lithuania in the field of culture and art and promoting parliamentary exchanges between the two countries.
"It's very unexpected, but, I won't hide it, it's extremely happy news for me," A. Gelūnas wrote on Facebook.
"Japan occupies an absolutely special place in my life: I have said more than once that I would not be who I am and where I am if it were not for the lessons of life in society learned during my studies in Japan. In addition, art and culture are not as emphasized and exalted in any other country as in Japan. Thanks to this wonderful country for the high appreciation of my modest efforts," he said.
According to the report, A. Gelūnas made a strong contribution to raising awareness of Japan's active international role in protecting cultural and natural heritage in the world, and also supported the participation of Lithuanians in the architecture forum and choir competition held in Japan, thereby promoting the exchange of architecture between the two countries and the choral exchange that continues successfully to this day. areas.
As a member of the Seimas, he actively participated in strengthening bilateral relations between Lithuania and Japan - he encouraged close cooperation between Lithuanian and Japanese parliamentarians, supported initiatives related to Japanese culture, supported Japan's candidacy for the Osaka EXPO.
In his capacity as the Ambassador of Lithuania at the Permanent Representation to UNESCO, A. Gelūnas supported the initiative to include documents related to the visas issued by diplomat Chiunes Sugihara in UNESCO's international register "Memory of the World".
"Although this idea could not be implemented, A. Gelūnas emphasized the great importance of these documents in conveying Sugihara's humanitarian merits to future generations," the report reads.
According to the Japanese embassy, A. Gelūnas also taught painting based on Japanese calligraphy and ink painting techniques at the Vilnius Academy of Arts for many years, taught Japanese philosophy, including Buddhism and Shintoism, to Vytautas Magnus University philosophy students, and also taught Japanese art history Vilnius University.
Among other things, he published many publications and articles about Japanese culture and philosophy, translated a number of publications into the Lithuanian language and thus made a significant contribution to spreading Japanese philosophy and culture in Lithuania, and also helped to establish Beautiful located in the Sugihara Museum, which he showed in 2001 and himself translated Č. Sugihara's widow, Yukiko Sugihara, who was visiting Lithuania at the time.
The Japanese embassy claims that A. Gelūnas is the tenth Lithuanian to receive such a high-ranking award from the Japanese government.
