The 25th May was a very special day for the Japanese Consulate in Edinburgh. The Consul General of Japan Mr Tarahara had arranged a presentation of the Order of the Rising Sun with Gold and Silver rays to Burgess Ronnie Watt 8th Dan WKC from the Emperor and Japanese government. The award ceremony was held at the Consol General of Japans residence in Edinburgh. Twenty special guests were invited to attend the ceremony headed by the Lord Provost of Aberdeen, Peter Stephen, Gordon McIntosh, Director of Enterprise Planning & Infastructure with Aberdeen City Council and close friends of Ronnie.
The presentation consisted of an explanation on the major role Ronnie had played with the development of friendships between Japan and the UK as well as Europe over the past 45 years of Karate teaching, organising training to over 20,000 members, an enormous amount of workThe Order of the Rising Sun with gold and Silver rays is presented in the form of a spectacular medal showing the Gold and Silver rays of the Japanese flag and is accompanied by a beautiful large certificate and prestigious jacket pin.
The Lord Provost of Aberdeen Peter Stephen gave a speech outlining his gratitude and appreciation of Ronnie being an ambassador for Aberdeen, Scotland and the UK and the fact he had organised the WKC World Karate championships in the city.
The consul General was so delighted with the evening he sang to the very attentive audience in remembrance of this very special occasion and the fact this is one of the highest awards given by the Emperor on Japan. Other recipients of similar awards have been Clint Eastwood for the 2nd WW film Letters from Iwo Jima and the First Scottish Samurai Thomas Blake Glover who revolutionised Japan in the 19th Century.
The evening ended with the Consul General asking to attend Ronnie's Seminars with Dr Fritz Wendland and Paul Kee later in the year
This award makes Ronnie one of the highest awarded Karate ka in the World.
