Nambu World: 2600th Anniversary Commemorative Medal

           This medal was awarded to commemorate the 2600th anniversary of Emperor Jimmu establishing the Japanese Empire, a semi-mythological event said to have taken place in 660BC. This event was used in Japan as one basis for calculating dates instead of the BC/AD (or BCE/CE) system used in the West. The 2600th anniversary was in 1940 (2600-660=1940). This date system was used in naming many weapons (e.g. the Type 96 machine gun’s name came from the year 2596, i.e. 1936). This medal is covered on page 63 of OMJAS. It is 30mm (1-3/16”) in diameter and 2.5mm (0.098”)  thick. The eight lines on the medal are an allusion to the eight corners of the world that were supposed to be united under the Emperor’s benevolent rule. The slogan was hak-ko-ichi-u, “[all] eight corners of the world under one roof”.     

 

Here is the back of the medal. It has the usual style of clasp on the ribbon.

 

            In this close-up of the front you can see a chrysanthemum, the symbol of the Imperial family, at the top. The bridge is a famous tourist scene that is on countless postcards. It is called Nijubashi and is the bridge that leads into the Imperial Palace in central Tokyo. You can see bits of the Palace complex in the background. This bridge is as close as you can get to the palace, except I think on January 2 they may open some of the inner grounds.

 

            This close-up of the back has the vertical inscription ki-gen-ni-sen-rop-pyaku-nen-shuku-ten-ki-nen-sho, or “2600th year of the Imperial Era Celebration Commemorative Medal”. The text along the bottom edge reads from right to left: sho-wa-ju-go-nen, or Showa 15 (1940).

 

            Here is the case, which is made of  textured cardboard. The characters in the vertical column are the same as on the back of the medal (transliterated and translated immediately above). The box is 111mm X 61mm X 19mm (4-5/16” X 2-3/8” X 11/16”).

 

Here is the medal safely nestled in its case.

 

            The certificate is 419mm X 297mm (16-1/2” X 11-11/16”). It has a watermark in the upper right corner (nothing in the lower left). There is nothing printed or stamped on the back, but someone has handwritten in pencil the katakana yu and the number 38 in the upper right corner of the back.

 

            The right side has the key information, including the recipient’s name and the date. I have four certificates that were issued to this same recipient, Risaburo Tsuchiya (surname Tsuchiya; the others can be seen in the sections on the Late WWI medal, Manchurian Incident Medal and China Incident Medal).

            Here is a transliteration of the Japanese:

First column on far right: ki-gen-ni-sen-rop-pyaku-nen-shuku-ten-ki-nen-sho-no-sho

Second column from right: riku-gun-tai-i-sho-nana-i-kun-yon-to-tsuchi-ya-ri-sabu-ro

Third column from right: sho-wa-ju-go-nen-choku-rei-dai-yon-byaku-hachi-ju-hachi-go-o-mune-ni-yo-ri

Fourth column from right: ki-gen-ni-sen-rop-pyaku-nen-shuku-ten-ki-nen-sho-o-ju-yo-seraru

Last column on left: sho-wa-ju-go-nen-ju-ichi-gatsu-to-ka

            My rough translation is: “Certificate for 2600th Year of the Imperial Era Celebration Commemorative Medal. Army Captain Risaburo Tsuchiya, Seventh Rank, Holder of the Fourth Order of Merit, is awarded this 2600th Year of the Imperial Era Celebration Commemorative Medal in accordance with Imperial Decree number 488 of Showa 15 [1940]. Dated this 10th day of November, Showa 15 [1940].       

 

            There left side has the formalities from the Board of Decorations.

            Here is a transliteration of the Japanese text:

First column on far right: sho-kun-kyoku-so-sai-ju-san-i-kun-it-to-shimo-jo-yasu-maro

Second column on right: dai-nana-man-sen-kyu-hyaku-ni-ju-roku-go-o-mot-te-ki-gen-ni-sen-rop-pyaku-nen

Third column on right: shuku-ten-ki-nen-sho-bo-satsu-ni-ki-nyu-su

Last column on left: sho-kun-kyoku-sho-ki-kan-ju-go-i-kun-go-to-mura-ta-ya-chi-o

            My rough translation is: “President of the Board of Decorations Yasumaro Shimojo, Junior Third Rank, Holder of the First Order of Merit. We have recorded this [certificate] as number 71926 in the Register of 2600th Year of the Imperial Era Celebration Commemorative Medals. Secretary of the Board of Decorations Yachio Murata, Junior Fifth Rank, Holder of the Fifth Order of Merit.” The translations of honours of the officials are somewhat tentative; I have followed the example of a translation on pages 20-21 of OMJAS, but I do not have great confidence that they got it right, either. I have yet to see a good, clear explanation of this system of honours and its relationship, if any, to the medals awarded as Orders of Merit.

 

Here is the artwork at the top-middle of the certificate, with the Imperial chrysanthemum in the centre.

 

            The round red seal below it says dai-nip-pon-tei-koku-sho-kun-kyoku-in, or “Seal of the Board of Decorations of the Empire of Greater Japan”.

 

Here is the artwork at the bottom centre of the certificate.

 

            The watermark in the upper right is again the Imperial chrysanthemum. The photo appears very orange because I had to put an incandescent light right behind the certificate to get the watermark to show up in a photo.

 

To return to the primary page on Medals, please click here: Nambu World: Japanese Medals

To return to “Other Japanese Militaria”, please click here: Nambu World: Other Japanese Militaria

To return to the home page, please click here: Nambu World: Teri’s WWII Japanese Handgun Website

 

Last updated: August 5, 2006. All contents are copyright Teri unless otherwise specified and may not be used elsewhere in any form without prior permission.