Novelist Jakucho Setouchi KYODO PHOTO

The four other recipients of the order, the country's highest honor in the fields of culture and science, were music critic Hidekazu Yoshida, professor of welding engineering Yoshiaki Arata, painter Chusaku Oyama and economist Miyohei Shinohara.

Speaking on behalf of the recipients, Setouchi said, "This moment is like a dream."

Setouchi, 84, who is also a Buddhist nun, has gained a devoted readership through her portrayals of the lives of women and human desires in works such as The End of Summer.

The Japan Times Weekly: Nov. 11, 2006
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