Item number: M77

Year: AD 1875-2003

Material: Silver

Size: case 96.46 x 49.82 x 25.60 / order 30.75 x 44.51 / ribbon 66.20 x 37.37 mm

Weight: case 74.65 / order 15.52 g

Provenance: Quan Jian Zhai 2022

In September of the fourth year of the Meiji era(AD 1871), the new government after the Meiji Restoration, as part of its comprehensive reform initiatives, instructed the legislative body responsible for various institutional recommendations at the time, known as the”左院 (Council of the Left)” to deliberate on the system of decorations. Subsequently, in the sixth year of the Meiji era(AD 1873), based on the Council of the Left’s recommendations, five individuals, including the second-class councilor Junjiro Hosokawa, were appointed as “メダイユ取調御用掛 (Medal Investigation Committee)” to investigate orders. The Medal Investigation Committee, led by the third-class councilor Daigyoken Tsunetaka (later the head of the Medal Bureau), who had also been involved in studying order systems during the time of the former shogunate’s army administration, conducted research on order systems in Western European countries to establish a order system in Japan. In April of the eighth year of Meiji(AD 1875), they announced the “Matter of Establishing Decorations and Commemorative Medals” (Imperial Edict No. 54). This laid the foundation for the current Order of the Rising Sun and marked the inception of the Japanese medal system. Subsequently, in the ninth year of Meiji(AD 1876), the Order of Chrysanthemum was established, followed by the Order of the Sacred Treasure and the Order of the Precious Crown in the twenty-first year of Meiji(AD 1888), and the Order of Culture in the twelfth year of Showa(AD 1937).

The awarding of orders to survivors was temporarily suspended after world war 2. However, starting in the spring of the thirty-ninth year of Showa(AD 1964), it resumed as the 春秋叙勲 (Spring and Autumn Order) were reintroduced. Japan’s system of honors, as a significant mechanism for recognizing contributions to the country or public service, and outstanding behavior in various fields of society, has been deeply rooted and confronted the changing socio-economic conditions of the twenty-first century. To address this, the government reevaluated the system of honors, transitioning from the awarding of decorations and commendations in the autumn of the fifteenth year of Heisei(AD 2003) to the current system.

This order belongs to the eighth class of the Order of the Rising Sun, presented in the form of a white paulownia leaf.

The Order of the Rising Sun, established on April 10, 1875 (Meiji 8), served as Japan’s initial medal, with eight grades ranging from the first class to the eighth class. The following year, in 1876 (Meiji 9), a higher rank, the Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum, was introduced above the Order of the Rising Sun, and in 1888 (Meiji 21), an additional higher rank, the Collar of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum, was established. In the 2003 (Heisei 15) reformation of the honors system, the Order of the Rising Sun was streamlined to six grades, with the abolition of the seventh and eighth classes. Additionally, since its establishment, the conferment of the Order of the Rising Sun was originally limited to males; however, with this reform, it became a medal awarded without gender distinction.

The obverse of this silver order features the coat of arms of the Japanese government which is also a secondary coat of arms of the imperial family. It mimics the leaves of the paulownia tree and incorporates the design with five three-petaled flowers. The reverse side is inscribed with”勳功旌章 (Order of Merit).”

物件編號: M77

年代: 公元 1875-2003 年

材質: 銀

尺寸: 盒 96.46 x 49.82 x 25.60 / 勳章 30.75 x 44.51 / 綬帶 66.20 x 37.37 mm

重量: 盒 74.65 / 勳章 15.52 g

來源: 泉鑒齋 2022

明治4年9月(公元1871年)，維新後的新政府指示當時作為立法機關負責各種制度建議的「左院」審議勳章制度，隨後在明治6年(公元1873年)，根據左院的建議，二等議官細川潤次郎等人 任命了5名「勳章調查委員（メダイユ取調御用掛）」。 勳章調查委員，以舊幕府陸軍奉行時代也參與研究勳章制度的三等議官大給恆(後來的賞勳局總裁)為中心，對西歐各國的勳章制度進行調查，為日本建立勳章制度進行研究，明治8年4 月份(公元1875年)公佈了《勳章從軍記章制定之事》(太政官布告第54號)。 這是現在旭日章的基礎，也是日本勳章制度的開始。 之後，明治9年(公元1876年)制定了菊花章，明治21年(公元1888年)制定了瑞寶章和寶冠章，昭和12年(公元1937年)制定了文化勳章。

授予倖存者的勳章在第二次世界大戰後暫停，但從昭和39年(公元1964年)春天開始作為春秋勳章（春秋叙勲）重新開始。 日本的榮典制度（栄典制度）作為表彰對國家或公共的功勞，或社會各領域的優秀行為的重要制度而根深蒂固，迎來了21世紀，應對社會經濟形勢的變化。 為此，政府重新審視了榮典制度，從平成15年(公元2003年)秋季的授勳及褒章轉移到現在的制度。

此為勳八等旭日章，呈白色桐葉狀。

旭日章在公元1875年(明治8年)4月10日，作為日本最初的勳章，制定了勳一等到勳八等的8個等級。 翌年公元1876年(明治9年)在旭日章的上位新設了大勳位菊花大綬章，公元1888年(明治21年)在此之上新設了大勳位菊花章頸飾。旭日章以9等級運用。 公元2003年(平成15年)的榮典制度修改中，旭日章以6等級運用，廢除勳七等和勳八。 另外，自制定以來，旭日章的授予物件僅限於男性使用，在這個榮典制度修改時，成為男女平等授予的勳章。

此銀章的圖案是日本國政府的紋章，也是皇室的副紋章，模仿桐花葉，帶有五三花瓣的桐紋（五三桐）的設計。背面刻有「勳功旌章」。