Japan confers prestigious decoration on Janak Jeevantha Bandaranayake

The Government of Japan announced the conferment of “The Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold and Silver Rays” on Janak Jeevantha Bandaranayake on November 3, 2020 for his contributions towards promoting cultural exchange between Japan and Sri Lanka.

Bandaranayake worked at the Embassy of Japan in Sri Lanka for more than three decades and contributed towards elevating the cultural ties between the two countries.

He was also instrumental in inaugurating Sri Lanka’s national television network, Rupavahini through a Japanese grant aid in the early 1980s, which telecast a globally-renowned Japanese TV drama ‘Oshin’ in 1998.

 Many of Bandaranayake’s fruits of labour culminated in the successful celebrations of the 40th, 50th and 60th anniversaries of Japan-Sri Lanka Diplomatic Relations, where he  dedicated wholeheartedly to mark the milestones with various cultural events.

 His efforts to strengthen and further cement Japan-Sri Lanka relations began prior to his appointment at the Embassy where he served as a chief interpreter for the Sri Lanka Pavilion at the Tsukuba Expo held in Japan in 1985 and as a main organizer of cultural events for youth from various countries arriving in Sri Lanka aboard ‘Nippon Maru’ as part of the ‘Ship for World Youth’ organized by the Government of Japan.

 The Government of Japan sincerely appreciates Banadaranayake’s longstanding contribution towards uplifting the time-honoured friendship and cultural exchange between Japan and Sri Lanka.