Nambu World: World War I War Medal (Early Type)

The Japanese were on the side of Britain and the USA in WWI (the USA had not yet entered the war when this medal was issued). Japan quickly seized Germany’s possessions in Asia, which consisted of some Pacific Islands and Tsingtao on the Shantung Peninsula in China. At that point they figured the war was over for them and they issued this medal. It is the scarcer of the two WWI service medals. The bar has the usual ju-gun-ki-sho (“war medal”) inscription. The front has a variation on the “crossed-flags-with-chrysanthemum-above-and-paulownia-below” design. This medal is covered on page 47 of OMJAS. It is made of blackened bronze and so is very dark.

Here is the back. The inscription is translated below with the close-up.

This shot shows the inside of the box.

The exterior of the box has a column of characters in gold leaf: tai-sho-san-yon-nen-ju-gun-ki-sho. This translates to “Taisho 3-4 military service medal”. Taisho 3-4 means the third and fourth years of the Taisho Emperor’s reign, i.e. 1914-1915. The Taisho Emperor was the father of the much better-known Emperor Hirohito.

This close-up shows the inscription: tai-sho-san-yon-nen-sen-eki, “Taisho 3-4 campaign”. The medal is 30mm (1-3/16”) in diameter.

The certificate measures 394mm X 302mm (15-1/2” by 11-29/32”). The big, round red stamp in the middle says Dai nippon teikoku shokunkyokuin. This means Seal of the Empire of Greater Japan Board of Decorations. The right side has the recipient and the date of the award. The left side has the formalities from the Board of Decorations. It has no watermarks and nothing is printed or stamped on the back.

This close-up of the right side has the most important information.

First column (far right): Tai-sho-san-yo-nen-ju-gun-ki-sho-no-sho

Second column from right: Riku-gun-ho-hei-jo-to-hei-yama-zaki- **-ta-ro. (** could be mai or hira)

Third column from right: Tai-sho-san-yo-nen-ju-gun-ki-sho-rei-no-?-ni-yori

Fourth column from right: Ju-gun-ki-sho-o-ju-yo-seraru

Last column (on left): Tai-sho-yo-nen-ju-ichi-gatsu-nano-ka

This translates roughly as: “Certificate for Medal for Military Service During Taisho 3-4 [1914-1915]. Army Artillery Superior Private Hirataro [pronunciation of given name uncertain] Yamazaki is awarded the Medal for Military Service During Taisho 3-4 in accordance with the regulations regarding the Medal for Military Service During Taisho 3-4. Dated November 7, Taisho 4 [1915].”

This close-up of the left side has the formalities from the Board of Decorations (shokunkyoku).

First column on far right: Sho-kun-kyoku-so-sai-ju-ni-i-kun-san-to-haku-shaku-o-gi-machi-sane-masa [or jis-sho]

Second column from right: kono-sho-o-kan-sa-shi-dai-yon-man-san-zen-yon-hyaku-roku-ju-hachi-go-o-motte

Third column from right: tai-sho-san-yo-nen-ju-gun-ki-sho-bo-satsu-bi-ki-nyu-su

Last column (on the left): sho-kun-kyoku-sho-kan-sho-go-i-kun-yon-to-fuji-i-zen-gen

This translates roughly as: “President of the Board of Decorations Count Sanemasa [or Jissho] Ogimachi [Ogimachi is the surname], Junior Second Rank, and Holder of the Third Order of Merit. Having checked this certificate I have entered it in the Register of Medals for Military Service During Taisho 3-4 [1914-1915] as number 44468. Secretary of the Board of Decorations Zengen Fujii, Fifth Rank, Holder of the Fourth Order of Merit.” The red stamps at the bottom of the columns repeat the titles of the officials (stamps are often used instead of signatures or initials in Japan). Mr. Fujii’s name also appears on the certificates for some of my other medals. I have gone out a bit on a limb here with my translation. Accompanying the names of senior figures in pre-war Japan there is often a series of titles. I have never seen anyone explain these titles properly, but here I have followed the conventions used on pages 20-21 of OMJAS. There is a bit of an explanation of these terms on page 4 of OMJAS, but it is quite inadequate for purposes of translation. In particular, the links, if any, between these titles and the Orders of Merit (Orders of the Rising Sun, Sacred Treasure and Golden Kite) are very unclear.

Here is a close-up of the artwork at the centre-bottom of the certificate. The printing just below it says Dai nippon teikoku seifu insatsu kyoku sei-zo, meaning “Made by the Government Printing Department of the Empire of Greater Japan”.

If you are interested in finding out more about Japan’s role in the early part of World War One, I recommend [I do not yet know of a good book that covers this period, but I will add the title when I find one].

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Last updated: July 21, 2006. All contents are copyright Teri unless otherwise specified and may not be used elsewhere in any form without prior permission.