| Imperial Japan Medals and Badges |
I have created this site to document the wide range of medals, awards, badges, and
fobs from imperial Japan (roughly 1874 to 1945). There are a few websites here and
there with some of these medals, but none are exhaustive. So I would like to try and
make a site with all the medals and their variants.
Medals and awards issued by the Japanese government (and the puppet states of
Japan) have been documented in James Peterson's Orders and Medals of Japan
and Associated States. Some of the information I use on this site will be from that
book. I will quote directly from the book when that is the only place I have found that
specific piece of information. However, in order for this site to be comprehensive, I
will read the Japanese sources carefully and try to glean any additional information
from them. Although Peterson's book is good, it is only an introduction.
I would like this site to be as informative as possible, and for that to be successful, I
will no doubt need help. As you will see as you glance through the pages, some of
the photos are inadequate and some pages are incomplete. Little by little I hope to
rectify this. If anyone has nice photos that I might be able to use, I would really
appreciate it.
I think that in time I will be able to have a photo of every class of award. However,
finding all of the badges from the various military groups, military academies,
regiments, units, etc. may be impossible. First of all, there is no ready checklist of
these. Oftentimes unit commanders would have some made for his men and there
is no record of this remaining (as far as I know). Unit and regiment badges--along
with event badges--exist in great numbers. I will try and document them as they
appear.
Here is a brief introduction to Japanese medals.
fobs from imperial Japan (roughly 1874 to 1945). There are a few websites here and
there with some of these medals, but none are exhaustive. So I would like to try and
make a site with all the medals and their variants.
Medals and awards issued by the Japanese government (and the puppet states of
Japan) have been documented in James Peterson's Orders and Medals of Japan
and Associated States. Some of the information I use on this site will be from that
book. I will quote directly from the book when that is the only place I have found that
specific piece of information. However, in order for this site to be comprehensive, I
will read the Japanese sources carefully and try to glean any additional information
from them. Although Peterson's book is good, it is only an introduction.
I would like this site to be as informative as possible, and for that to be successful, I
will no doubt need help. As you will see as you glance through the pages, some of
the photos are inadequate and some pages are incomplete. Little by little I hope to
rectify this. If anyone has nice photos that I might be able to use, I would really
appreciate it.
I think that in time I will be able to have a photo of every class of award. However,
finding all of the badges from the various military groups, military academies,
regiments, units, etc. may be impossible. First of all, there is no ready checklist of
these. Oftentimes unit commanders would have some made for his men and there
is no record of this remaining (as far as I know). Unit and regiment badges--along
with event badges--exist in great numbers. I will try and document them as they
appear.
Here is a brief introduction to Japanese medals.
| I will include on every commemorative medal page (and a few of the badge pages) a scale that shows the relative scarcity of each medal. See the example here: |
|
|
I have been able to write about medals because of the information I have gleaned from a
number of sources: books, conversations, blogs, and online references.
Please feel free to correct me if I am wrong in any of my claims. I welcome all opinions.
number of sources: books, conversations, blogs, and online references.
Please feel free to correct me if I am wrong in any of my claims. I welcome all opinions.
| I also have a site dedicated to Imperial Japan military sake cups and bottles. Please click here: |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Newest Pages Golden Kite Documents Cutlery Good Conduct Corporation Cherry Blossom Viewing Medals Japan Academy Prize 1875 Ordinance Army/Navy Planes Tokugawa Medal Service Association NOW AVAILABLE! My first 3 ebooks on Japanese medals and badges. 1st ebook: The Imperial Ordinances for War and Commemorative Medals of Japan and Manchukuo 2nd ebook: Order of Precedence, Rosettes & Ryakuju, and Assorted Badges of Japan and Manchukuo 3rd ebook: The Order of Culture and the Medals of Honor Please order from the Store. |
For example, the 1900 Boxer Rebellion medal doesn't seem to be rare, yet the prices
it commands are high. This may be related to the interest in the Boxer Rebellion
itself. I would give it 3 dots with regard to scarcity. However, I have seen it sold at
prices ranging from $300 to $650 at online auctions. In Japan it routinely sells at the
lower end of that price range.
Another example is the WWI Victory Medal, which seems to be available almost
anywhere. Yet it still commands prices of over $100. This is puzzling...
Therefore, I have confined my judgements to the apparent rarity of the medals.
Values I will leave to others.
In addition, scaling the orders in this fashion seems a bit unwieldy since the different
classes have been made for many years. Campaign and commemorative medals
were usually issued for a short period of time (and were usually made at the same
time), but the orders have been awarded since the late 1800s up until 2003, with a
brief hiatus following WW2.
Of course, the higher the class of the order, the fewer number exist. However, the
older medals of even the low classes can command high prices because they also
exist in small numbers.
As for the Korean commemorative medals, I suspect that they may exist in higher
numbers in Korea. However, since I have no access to those markets nor the
Korean language, I really don't know.
it commands are high. This may be related to the interest in the Boxer Rebellion
itself. I would give it 3 dots with regard to scarcity. However, I have seen it sold at
prices ranging from $300 to $650 at online auctions. In Japan it routinely sells at the
lower end of that price range.
Another example is the WWI Victory Medal, which seems to be available almost
anywhere. Yet it still commands prices of over $100. This is puzzling...
Therefore, I have confined my judgements to the apparent rarity of the medals.
Values I will leave to others.
In addition, scaling the orders in this fashion seems a bit unwieldy since the different
classes have been made for many years. Campaign and commemorative medals
were usually issued for a short period of time (and were usually made at the same
time), but the orders have been awarded since the late 1800s up until 2003, with a
brief hiatus following WW2.
Of course, the higher the class of the order, the fewer number exist. However, the
older medals of even the low classes can command high prices because they also
exist in small numbers.
As for the Korean commemorative medals, I suspect that they may exist in higher
numbers in Korea. However, since I have no access to those markets nor the
Korean language, I really don't know.
| Do you have Japanese or Manchukuo medals to sell? I am always buying, so send me an EMAIL HERE. |
| Welcome to my site! Last updated: May 26, 2012 |
1874 War Medal presentation document
Search my site here!
| Facebook |
Subscribe to my Imperial Japan Medals monthly newsletter!
Only 90 yen a month (about $1.10 USD). Or a one-time payment for 12 or more issues
for 1080 yen.
You can cancel at any time, of course. I will send each issue out around the middle of the month.
What it will include:
Each month I will send you a PDF file (electronically, no paper involved) of a few pages. The information will be some kind of detail
about Japanese medals and decorations. I will try and include facts that are not readily available in English. This will be
information that is not available on this site.
The newsletter will not be like my medal ebooks (see the Store pages). That is, I don't want to examine individual badges and
medals (unless something rare and/or interesting appears); rather, I will try and add to the general understanding of Japanese
medals. I hope to include a lot of statistics as well as descriptive information about the history of the Japanese decoration system.
ISSUE #1 (February 2012): The Japanese Honor Systems explained and detailed. (8 pages.)
ISSUE #1 SUPPLEMENT: List of pre-WW2 and post-2003 medals with Japanese names transcribed & English translations.
ISSUE #2 (March, 2012): Introducing the 1st private manufacturer of badges in Japan--and a few of his rare 1894 Sino-Japanese
War medals described. (8 pages)
ISSUE #3 (April, 2012): Statistics issue! Total numbers of each class of each order awarded in the years 1951-1960. Also the
numbers of each class of each order (excluding the Golden Kite) awarded from 1875 to 1936. And a tidbit of info about the 1964
Tokyo Olympics medals. (5 pages)
ISSUE #4 (coming in May, 2012): A profile of a Japanese sculptor, Hinago Jitsuzou. In addition to his sculptures, he designed a few
of the most famous Japanese medals. (11 pages)
ISSUE #5 (coming in June, 2012): Official weights of the main Japanese medals; pre-war standards for awarding the main
decorations; book recommendation. (10 pages)
Only 90 yen a month (about $1.10 USD). Or a one-time payment for 12 or more issues
for 1080 yen.
You can cancel at any time, of course. I will send each issue out around the middle of the month.
What it will include:
Each month I will send you a PDF file (electronically, no paper involved) of a few pages. The information will be some kind of detail
about Japanese medals and decorations. I will try and include facts that are not readily available in English. This will be
information that is not available on this site.
The newsletter will not be like my medal ebooks (see the Store pages). That is, I don't want to examine individual badges and
medals (unless something rare and/or interesting appears); rather, I will try and add to the general understanding of Japanese
medals. I hope to include a lot of statistics as well as descriptive information about the history of the Japanese decoration system.
ISSUE #1 (February 2012): The Japanese Honor Systems explained and detailed. (8 pages.)
ISSUE #1 SUPPLEMENT: List of pre-WW2 and post-2003 medals with Japanese names transcribed & English translations.
ISSUE #2 (March, 2012): Introducing the 1st private manufacturer of badges in Japan--and a few of his rare 1894 Sino-Japanese
War medals described. (8 pages)
ISSUE #3 (April, 2012): Statistics issue! Total numbers of each class of each order awarded in the years 1951-1960. Also the
numbers of each class of each order (excluding the Golden Kite) awarded from 1875 to 1936. And a tidbit of info about the 1964
Tokyo Olympics medals. (5 pages)
ISSUE #4 (coming in May, 2012): A profile of a Japanese sculptor, Hinago Jitsuzou. In addition to his sculptures, he designed a few
of the most famous Japanese medals. (11 pages)
ISSUE #5 (coming in June, 2012): Official weights of the main Japanese medals; pre-war standards for awarding the main
decorations; book recommendation. (10 pages)
One-time payment
for one year (12 or
more issues):
1080 yen
for one year (12 or
more issues):
1080 yen
