Prizewinning leather artisan Okubo dies at 81

Prizewinning leather artisan Okubo dies at 81

TOKYO, Japan - File photo, taken on Nov. 3, shows Fukuko Okubo, Japan's most celebrated leather artisan, who died at 81 on the evening of Nov. 4 at a hospital in Tokyo. Her death came just one day after she received the Order of Culture from Emperor Akihito at the Imperial Palace along with Nobel laureate Hideki Shirakawa and four others.

Shirakawa, 5 others awarded Order of Culture by emperor

Shirakawa, 5 others awarded Order of Culture by emperor

TOKYO, Japan - Nobel laureate Hideki Shirakawa (Far L) and five others sit in a photo session Nov. 3 at the Imperial Palace after they were awarded this year's Order of Culture by Emperor Akihito. Next to Shirakawa is leather craftswoman Fukuko Okubo, 81, followed by calligrapher Kason Sugioka, 87, actress Isuzu Yamada, 83, sinologist Tadao Ishikawa, 78, and organic chemist Ryoji Noyori, 62. At the ceremony, which started at 10:30 a.m., the emperor decorated each of the recipients, who then received a certificate from Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori.

Nobel laureate Shirakawa gets cultural order

Nobel laureate Shirakawa gets cultural order

TOKYO, Japan - File photos show the six winners of this year's Order of Culture named Oct. 24. (Upper, from L to R) sinologist Tadao Ishikawa, leather craftswoman Fukuko Okubo and Nobel laureate Hideki Shirakawa, (lower, from L to R) calligrapher Kason Sugioka, organic chemist Ryoji Noyori and actress Isuzu Yamada. They will receive their order from Emperor Akihito at the Imperial Palace on Culture Day on Nov. 3.

Prizewinning leather artisan Okubo dies at 81

Prizewinning leather artisan Okubo dies at 81

TOKYO, Japan - File photo, taken on Nov. 3, shows Fukuko Okubo, Japan's most celebrated leather artisan, who died at 81 on the evening of Nov. 4 at a hospital in Tokyo. Her death came just one day after she received the Order of Culture from Emperor Akihito at the Imperial Palace along with Nobel laureate Hideki Shirakawa and four others.

Shirakawa, 5 others awarded Order of Culture by emperor

Shirakawa, 5 others awarded Order of Culture by emperor

TOKYO, Japan - Nobel laureate Hideki Shirakawa (Far L) and five others sit in a photo session Nov. 3 at the Imperial Palace after they were awarded this year's Order of Culture by Emperor Akihito. Next to Shirakawa is leather craftswoman Fukuko Okubo, 81, followed by calligrapher Kason Sugioka, 87, actress Isuzu Yamada, 83, sinologist Tadao Ishikawa, 78, and organic chemist Ryoji Noyori, 62. At the ceremony, which started at 10:30 a.m., the emperor decorated each of the recipients, who then received a certificate from Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori.