Other artists and performers that will be recognized at the ceremony include In This Corner of the World director Sunao Katabuchi and ballet dancers Koya Okawa, Midori Terada, and Maruku Chino.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs – a subdivision of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology that recognizes excellence in Japanese arts and culture – will honor anime director Masaaki Yuasa with a medal and a letter of commendation at an official ceremony in Tokyo on July 19, 2017.
The last animator to win such recognition was Kunio Katō in 2009.