‘Home Run King’ Sadaharu Oh awarded Taiwan’s highest honorBy Chen Yun and Kayleigh Madjar / Staff reporter, with staff writerBaseball legend Sadaharu Oh (王貞治) today received the Order of Brilliant Star with Special Grand Cordon, becoming the first athlete to receive the nation’s highest civilian honor. President William Lai (賴清德) conferred the medal on the “Home Run King” at a ceremony at the Presidential Office in Taipei. Baseball legend Sadaharu Oh, center, poses with President William Lai, right, at the Presidential Office in Taipei today. In November last year, he was personally awarded Japan’s highest cultural honor, the Order of Culture, by Emperor Naruhito. While he has not lived in Taiwan, Oh maintains close ties with the country.

Source: Taipei Times February 26, 2026 07:36 UTC