Actor Akshay Kumar has been bestowed with the highest Japanese honour for his longtime association with marital arts.

At a ceremony in Mumbai on Monday, Kumar was presented a ‘Katana’ as well as a sixth degree Black Belt in Kuyukai Gojuryu Karate by the organisers of the first invitational National Open Karate Championship.

This is the first of its kind competition of martial arts in India, and Kumar has promised to promote it.