The Japanese government announced 688 recipients and 20 organizations of the Medal of Honor for the spring of 2022 on April 28.
Until I was contacted by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the distinction between the Order of Merit and the Medal of Honor was unclear.
21 recipients of the Medal with Purple Ribbon, awarded to those who have made outstanding achievements in the fields of academics, sports, culture and the arts, included Hideaki Anno, a film director/producer who worked on the Evangelion series and other works.