The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese government,[2] created on 10 April 1875 by decree of the Council of State.

The modern version of this honour has been conferred on non-Japanese recipients beginning in 1981 (although several foreigners were given the honor before World War II).

[11] The awarding of the Order is administered by the Decoration Bureau of the Cabinet Office headed by the Japanese Prime Minister.

For example, the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun (1st class) is awarded to a person who has made outstanding achievements in his/her position as Prime Minister, Speaker of the House of Representatives, President of the House of Councillors, or Chief Justice of Japan.

The Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun (1st class) or the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays (2nd class) are awarded to a person who has made outstanding achievements in his/her position as Minister of State, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary, Senior Vice-Minister, Vice Speaker of the House of Representatives, Vice President of the House of Councilors, or Judge of the Supreme Court.

Conventionally, a diploma is prepared to accompany the insignia of the order, and in some rare instances, the personal signature of the Emperor will have been added.

As an illustration of the wording of the text, a translation of a representative 1929 diploma says: By the grace of Heaven, Emperor of Japan, seated on the throne occupied by the same dynasty from time immemorial, We confer the Second Class of the Imperial Order of Meiji upon Henry Waters Taft, a citizen of the United States of America and a director of the Japan Society of New York, and invest him with the insignia of the same class of the Order of the Double Rays of the Rising Sun, in expression of the good will which we entertain towards him.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hand and caused the Grand Seal of State to be affixed at the Imperial Palace, Tokyo, this thirteenth day of the fifth month of the fourth year of Shōwa, corresponding to the 2,589th year from the accession to the throne of Emperor Jimmu.