Awards of
World War IIThe award was established in 1944, as World War II was drawing to a close. The criteria for awarding the Medal for Participation in the Great East Asian War are unclear; it was likely intended to serve as a commemorative award for all participants in the war on Japan's side.
It is known that 10,000 copies of the award were manufactured; after Japan's defeat, all medals were destroyed by order of the occupation authorities. Information on the awarding of the Medal for Participation in the Great East Asian War varies. Some sources claim that before Japan's defeat, a number of soldiers were awarded this award posthumously, and the award may still exist in its original form. However, according to the Japanese Mint's history, published in 1965, this medal was never awarded.
The design for the medal was developed by the renowned sculptor of the time, Hinago Jitsuzou (1892-1945). The creator of the Medal for Participation in the China Incident, the logo of the Japan Football Association, and a number of other awards and emblems.
The medal is made of tin alloy. Attached to the award ribbon is a bar with the inscription in hieroglyphs meaning "Military Medal" (read from left to right).
The medal itself is round, 30 mm in diameter. The obverse features cherry blossoms around a circle, and in the center is an eight-pointed star, upon which are superimposed two crossed swords, topped by a chrysanthemum—the imperial crest.
The reverse of the award is decorated with a vertical samurai shield bearing the inscription in hieroglyphs: "Great East Asian War." The award is attached to the ribbon with a pendant shaped like bamboo branches. The ribbon itself is green, 36 mm wide, with thin, 3 mm stripes along the edges: dark blue (symbolizing the Navy), dark blue (the Air Force), and dark green (the Army).