Munakata choose the woodblock print as his main genre and he rose to the pinnacle of that field through years of rigorous study from an early age.Well-known nationally and internationally, he also brought renown to his birthplace, Aomori. In 1970, he was awarded the Order of Cultural Merit, the first person from Aomori to be so honored.

        After the devastation of the Second World War, the foundations of a rebuilt modern-day Aomori were laid in large part during Yokoyama's four-term service as mayor from 1947 to 1963.

        Ishidate not only served as a dean of prestigious Tokyo University School of Medicine, but his eminent career also included the development of the nation's first anti-cancer drug as well as many other important medicines. A pioneer in the treatment of Hansen's Disease, he was prominently involved in a movement that brought much hope to leprosy patients and eventually resulted in the 1996 abolishment of the Japanese government's isolation laws.

        Nori Awaya, who used the stage name Noriko Awaya, had an important place in the history of Japanese popular music. Known as "the Queen of the Blues," her singing moved the Japanese people and gave them courage and hope. She was a recipient of the Purple Ribbon Medal in 1972 and the Order of the Precious Crown, Wisteria, in 1979.