Mongolian national Sanj Demberel was awarded the Japanese Emperor's Order of the Rising Sun, with gold rays and a rosette, during a ceremony at the Japanese Embassy to Mongolia on November 26^th.

Sanj Demberel learned the Japanese language on his own and has worked at the Embassy of Japan for 15 years. Even after retirement, he taught Japanese language courses at the University of Humanities in Mongolia, worked on research projects, and published a Japanese-Mongolian dictionary.

The Order of the Rising Sun was presented to Sanj Demberel for his efforts in strengthening bilateral relations between Mongolia and Japan since the time when Mongolia became a democracy, and contributing to a wide range of cultural activities expanding friendly relations between the two countries.