NEWS
Dr. Gerhard Schepers, ICU Professor Emeritus, receives Autumn Decoration
Update: October 2, 2026
On November 3, 2025, the recipients of the Autumn Decorations were announced. Dr. Gerhard Schepers, ICU Professor Emeritus, was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun. Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon. On July 7, the order was conferred to him in a ceremony by the Japanese Consul General in Düsseldorf. Dr. Schepers was appointed Instructor in German Literature and Culture in 1974 and served as Assistant Dean of the Graduate School, Chair of the Graduate School Division of Comparative Cul-ture, and Director, Institute for the Study of Christianity and Culture. From 1993, he served three terms (six years) as Dean of the Col-lege of Liberal Arts. From 1994 to 1995, as Chair of the Academic Program Reform Committee, he took on the challenging and cru-cial role of leading the university through a period of reform, con-tributing to the university's development over the course of 33 years.
In 2007, he was appointed Professor Emeritus at this university.From 1999, Dr. Schepers served as President of the OAG (German Eastasiatic Society) for approximately 11 years. He received this award also in recognition of his contributions to promoting academic exchange and mutual understanding between Japan and Germany. He currently lives in Germany.
Award comments from Dr. Schepers:
This order is a great honor for me and for ICU, an honor which I accept humbly and gratefully as the final highpoint of my career in Japan. I am especially happy that my commitment to various re-forms at ICU was highly evaluated. The sacrifices necessary to im-plement these reforms thus were not in vain. And I gratefully re-member the support by many colleagues and staff members who contributed to the success of the reforms. My commitment was mo-tivated by the wish to give back something to Japan for the warmth and kindness with which I was received in Japan, allowing me soon to feel fully integrated.