Conferral of the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold and Silver Rays upon Mrs. Elizabeth van der Wind, former staff member of the Embassy of Japan in the Netherlands
On Thursday 21 June, at 17:30 hours, Mrs. Elizabeth van der Wind, former staff member of the Embassy of Japan in the Netherlands, received in the name of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan, the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold and Silver Rays during a special ceremony at the residence of the Ambassador of Japan, Mr. Hiroshi Inomata.
With this decoration, the Japanese government recognises her exceptional contribution to the Embassy of Japan in the Netherlands.
By Sheila Turabaz
On the 21st of June 2018, Mrs. Elizabeth Van der Wind-Hamill, former staff member of the Embassy of Japan in the Netherlands, was awarded the prestigious Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold and Silver Rays at a conferment ceremony hosted by the Ambassador of Japan to the Netherlands H.E. Mr. Hiroshi Inomata. The Order of the Sacred Treasure called Zuihosho (瑞宝章) in Japanese, is bestowed upon women and men in recognition of their exceptional achievements in various fields in civil or military service.
His Imperial Majesty Emperor Akihito of Japan conferred this decoration, presented by H.E. Mr. Inomata, to recognize Mrs. Van der Wind-Hamill’s significant contribution to promoting Dutch-Japanese relations during her 33 years of service for the Embassy of Japan. Mrs. Van der Wind-Hamill’s friends, family, (former) colleagues and prominent figures of the Japanese community gathered at Ambassador Inomata’s residence in The Hague to celebrate this occasion. Former Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mr. Dries Van Agt, who served as an Ambassador of the European Union to Japan in the 1980s, also attended the ceremony.
During the ceremony, the Ambassador spoke of Mrs. Van der Wind-Hamill’s accomplishments in the past decades, particularly mentioning her valuable contribution to the promotion of Dutch-Japanese relations as well as her personal qualities that made her a valuable staff member:
“She started working at the Embassy in 1980 as a clerk at the Department of Cultural Affairs, Press and Information. Proficient in English, French, and Dutch, she soon turned out to be a true asset.
During her days at the Embassy she was involved in quite a few high-profile events, such as the visit of Their Imperial Majesties Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko in 2000. That year marked 400 years of relations between the Netherlands and Japan and various festive activities were organized with her help throughout the year. In such an intensive year, she also contributed much to the public communications of the Embassy, which certainly laid the basis for a new bilateral relationship between Japan and the Netherlands. (…) In the meantime, she was promoted from clerk to senior clerk in recognition of her long and outstanding service to the Embassy. (…)
One of the skills that she excels at, and I think that the amount of people gathered here today is proof of that, is her ability to connect people with each other. In her years at the Embassy she forged a strong network among economic, academic, cultural and other circles, which shows how dedicated she was. In this way, she was a catalyst for the promotion and development of other Japan-related organizations in the Netherlands in cooperation with the Embassy. ”
Mrs.Van der Wind-Hamill – dressed elegantly in black but now adorned with a star-shaped badge consisting of 20 white enameled rays and with a central frame of rubies – could not contain her excitement, smiling continuously throughout the ceremony. Her acceptance speech was an expression of humility and gratitude to all the people with whom she has worked with over the years:
“(…) Let me take you back to January 4th 1980. (…)In those early pre-computer years, the pace was slow, the staff was small and all was relatively quiet on the ‘eastern’ front. These were the ‘learning’ years and among my teachers were Willem van Gulik and Jaap Rost Onnes. They were and are the very best. For your support and friendship I owe you both a debt of gratitude that I can never repay. (…) In my 33 years at the Embassy of Japan I saw the coronation of a new emperor, an historically meaningful state visit to this country by Their Imperial Majesties and the establishment of what I view to see as the jewel in the crown of Japanese-Dutch relations – Japan Museum Siebold Huis in Leiden where it is my good fortune to work.
I watched as the Japanese language and culture were embraced by an ever-increasing number of enthusiastic Dutch students and saw Japanese cuisine change the eating habits of the average Dutchman. (…) If I have contributed in any way to promoting Japanese-Dutch relations it was not without your help and that of so many others. Each and every one of you in this room has contributed in one way or another so it belongs – in part to all of you.”
After the ceremony’s conclusion, family and friends of Mrs. Elizabeth Van der Wind-Hamill as well as other Japan enthusiasts mingled at the reception and were treated with some of the finest Japanese sushi at the reception.
