TOKYO (Oct. 8, 2009)—Shoshi Arakawa, chairman of the board, CEO and president of Bridgestone Corp., was presented with the Commander of the Order of Leopold of Kingdom of Belgium.
The Order of Leopold is the most prestigious Belgium order that can be bestowed upon an individual for his contribution to the development of Belgium.
The ceremony was held at the official residence of Johan Maricou, the Belgian Ambassador to Japan, who presented the award.
Arakawa held the post of chairman, CEO and president of Bridgestone Europe NV/SA for about three years from March 2001.
He said during his acceptance speech, “The decoration of Commander of the Order of Leopold that you bestow on me today, as I understand, is in recognition of Bridgestone's contribution to the economic development of your country.”