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News & Announcements » UOG Professor Emerita Toyoko Poong-Ja Kang Honored with Japanese Imperial Commendation

UOG Professor Emerita Toyoko Poong-Ja Kang Honored with Japanese Imperial Commendation

UOG Professor Emerita Toyoko Poong-Ja Kang Honored with Japanese Imperial Commendation

UOG Professor Emerita Toyoko Poong-Ja Kang Honored with Japanese Imperial Commendation


05/16/2025
The Consulate-General of Japan in Hagåtña announced that “The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette” was awarded to Dr. Toyoko Poong-Ja Kang, Professor Emerita of Japanese Language at the University of Guam. The prestigious award recognizes Dr. Kang’s decades-long dedication to promoting Japanese language education and her role in fostering cultural understanding between Japan and the U.S., including Guam.
The Consulate-General of Japan in Hagåtña announced that “The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette” was awarded to Dr. Toyoko Poong-Ja Kang, Professor Emerita of Japanese Language at the University of Guam. The prestigious award recognizes Dr. Kang’s decades-long dedication to promoting Japanese language education and her role in fostering cultural understanding between Japan and the U.S., including Guam. Photo courtesy of the Consulate-General of Japan
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The Consulate-General of Japan in Hagåtña announced in a press release that “The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette” was awarded to Dr. Toyoko Poong-Ja Kang, Professor Emerita of Japanese Language at the University of Guam.

The prestigious award recognizes Dr. Kang’s decades-long dedication to promoting Japanese language education and her role in fostering cultural understanding between Japan and the U.S., including Guam.

The Consulate-General of Japan stated in the release, “Dr. Kang’s teaching career is a fine example of the promotion of mutual understanding between Japan and the USA as well as Japan and Guam.”

Dr. Kang began her teaching career in 1985 at the University of Texas at Austin. She joined the UOG College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences in 1993 where taught the Japanese language to nearly 2,200 students. Throughout her career, she taught the language to over 3,500 students. In 2020, Dr. Kang was awarded the Foreign Minister's Commendation by Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.