Japanese pop culture expert Frederik L. Schodt has been awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette by the Japanese government for his contribution “to the introduction and promotion of Japanese contemporary popular culture in the United States of Americas.” 

Schodt has played an important role in the development of manga in the U.S., both as a translator, and as author of Manga, Manga!, Dreamland Japan, Astro Boy Essays, and others.