Nambu World: World War I Medal (Late Type)

The Japanese ended up being involved in WWI for longer than they anticipated. They sent some ships to the Mediterranean, though I’m not sure what they did there, and also intervened until after 1920 in the little known and completely unsuccessful Western effort to suppress the Bolshevik forces in the Russian Revolution by sending troops to Siberia. This medal covers the longer period of involvement from 1914 to 1920. Some Japanese soldiers were actually still in Vladivostok as late as 1922. The box is dark, so the characters are hard to read, but they say tai-sho-san-nen-nai-shi-kyu-nen-sen-eki-ju-gun-ki-sho. This is quite a mouthful, but it just means “Taisho 3-9 campaign military service medal”. Taisho 3 to Taisho 9 corresponds to the Western years 1914 to 1920. This medal is covered on page 48 of OMJAS. The metal is quite dark. The box is 105mm X 59mm X 24mm (4-3/16” X 2-5/16” X 15/16”).

This is the front. I think the little blue dots in the white part of the ribbon are just flaws since OMJAS says the ribbons on the early and late medals are identical. Generally the medal looks very similar to the early type from the front.

The back obviously has a different inscription.

Viewed more closely, there are a few minor differences between the fronts of the early and late types. The late type has a larger chrysanthemum and the impression made by the die is shallower. The medal is 30 mm (1-3/16”) in diameter.

The inscription on the back is tai-sho-san-nen-nai-shi-kyu-nen-sen-eki, meaning “Campaign from Taisho 3 to 9”.

The certificate measures 394mm X 294mm (15-1/2” by 11-19/32”). 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-nen-nai-shi-kyu-nen-sen-eki-ju-gun-ki-sho-no-sho

Second column from right: Riku-gun-ho-hei-gun-so-tsuchi-ya-ri-sabu-ro

Third column from right: Tai-sho-san-nen-nai-shi-kyu-nen-sen-eki-ju-gun-ki-sho-rei-no

Fourth column from right: mune-ni-yori-ju-gun-ki-sho-o-ju-yo-seraru

Last column (on left): Tai-sho-kyu-nen-ju-ni-gatsu-ni-ju-go-nichi

This translates roughly as: “Certificate for Medal for Military Service During the Campaign from Taisho 3 to 9 [1914-1920]. Army Infantry Sergeant Risaburo Tsuchiya [surname is Tsuchiya] is awarded the Medal for Military Service in accordance with the regulations regarding the Medal for Military Service During the Campaign from Taisho 3 to 9. Dated December 25, Taisho 9 [1920].” I bought this certificate at an antique market in Tokyo. I have a total of four certificates from this same Mr. Tsuchiya, tracing him from a sergeant to a first lieutenant to a captain. The other certificates of his that I have are from the Manchurian Campaign, China Incident, and the commemorative for the 2600^th anniversary of the Imperial line in 1940. You can view them in the relevant sections.

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-sho-yon-i-kun-ni-to-haku-shaku-ko-dama-hide-o

Second column from right: kono-sho-o-kan-sa-shi-dai-ni-ju-hachi-man-go-sen-ni-hyaku-ni-ju-ni-go-o-motte-tai-sho-san-nen

Third column from right: nai-shi-kyu-nen-sen-eki-ju-gun-ki-sho-bo-satsu-ni-ki-nyu-su

Fourth column from the right: sho-kun-kyoku-sho-ki-kan-sho-go-i-kun-yon-to-yoko-ta-go-suke

Last column (on the left): sho-kun-kyoku-sho-kan-ju-roku-i-aka-mine-tetsu-o [last two syllables could also be akio, sato, or toshio]

With family names underlined, this translates roughly as: “President of the Board of Decorations Count Hideo Kodama, Fourth Rank, and Holder of the Second Order of Merit. Having checked this certificate we have entered it in the Register of Medals for Military Service During the Campaign from Taisho 3 to 9 [1914-1920] as number 285222. Secretary of the Board of Decorations Gosuke Yokota, Fifth Rank, Holder of the Fourth Order of Merit. Secretary of the Board of Decorations Tetsuo [given name could also be Akio, Sato or Toshio] Akamine, Junior Sixth Rank” The red stamps at the ends of columns with names and titles repeat the titles of the individuals whose names appear here, President of the Board of Decorations or Secretary of the Board of Decorations, as the case may be. 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 in a translation 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.

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.

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 later 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: August 15, 2006. All contents are copyright Teri unless otherwise specified and may not be used elsewhere in any form without prior permission.