 On November 3, 2000, the Emperor of Japan awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure, 4th Class (Gold Rays with Rosette), to him in a ceremony on the grounds of the Tokyo Imperial Palace.Nishiyama was one of only 11 recipients of the award from outside Japan in that year.During the first Traditional Karate World Cup, in October 2001, Poland honored Nishiyama with the Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland.