The President of the Konishi Foundation for International Exchange, Chizu Konishi, has been awarded the Ordre national du Mérite Chevalier.
After serving as a trustee of the Foundation, she became President in April 2013. In addition to the Japanese-French Translated Literature Award, she established the Konishi Manga Translation Award in 2017, and her contributions to supporting Japanese-French translators and promoting cultural exchanges between Japan and France have been well-regarded, leading to her being awarded the Ordre national du Mérite.
The conferment ceremony was held on November 28, 2024 at the official residence of the French Ambassador to Japan, and the award was conferred by the French Ambassador to Japan, Phillipe Seton.

The conferment ceremony was also covered on the social media accounts of the Embassy of France in Japan.
https://www.facebook.com/100064712310717/photos/999806302186438/?_rdr
https://x.com/ambafrancejp_jp/status/1863498097403510930

● A Message from President Chizu Konishi
The Konishi Foundation for International Exchange will celebrate its 41st anniversary in 2024, and the Japanese-French Translated Literature Award will be held for the 30th time in 2025. It is a great honor, and a great encouragement, for me to receive this prestigious award from the Republic of France on this memorable occasion.

The Foundation has been able to continue supporting translators over such a long period because of the tireless efforts of translators, as well as those who have backed the Foundation out of their passion to support translators. I believe that the fact that I was able to play a role in supporting these people has somehow become one of the joys of my life. I feel that all the seeds that we have sown were good seeds, and they have bore excellent fruit.

Our foundation will host the 30th Anniversary Event of the Japanese-French Translated Literature Award. Guided by the slogan "Translation makes 'littérature-monde'," we plan to organize a symposium (scheduled for November 1–2, 2025, at Maison Franco-Japonaise, and early February 2026, at the Japan Cultural Institute in Paris), along with an exhibition (to be held from September 29 to November 3, 2025, at the Waseda International House of Literature).

With all our hearts and thoughts, we would like to continue moving forward with sincerity, full of hope that we will continue the exchanges that our predecessors left us together with the people of France, which remains warm in both sides’ hearts.
Once again, I would like to express our deepest gratitude to all those who continue to support the activities of the Foundation.