Item number: M109

Year: AD 1939-1946

Material: Bronze

Size: case 109.1 x 59.7 x 21.3 / medal 29.3 x 79.6 x 2.0 mm

Weight: 28.85 g

Provenance: Private Collector, Taiwan, 2022

This bronze medal is the “China Incident War Medal,” promulgated on July 27, AD 1939, during Japan’s Showa 14 era. It comes with a black storage case lined with deep blue velvet, and the outer case bears the silver-stamped inscription “China Incident War Medal.” This medal was awarded to all officers and soldiers who participated in the conflict in China following the Marco Polo Bridge Incident on July 7, AD 1937.

At that time, the Taiwanese under Japanese colonial rule was only eligible to join the regular army shortly before Japan’s defeat in AD 1944. Prior to that, a significant number of Taiwanese served in non-regular military roles such as interpreters, technicians, or laborers on the Chinese battlefield, and they also had the opportunity to receive this medal. By AD 1945, before the end of World War II, Japan had dispatched nearly 2.6 million troops to China over eight years, exceeding half of its total military strength. Therefore, the issuance of this medal was extremely extensive.

The medal is circular in shape with a beaded rim around the edge. On the obverse side, above the radiant sunbeams, there is the symbol of the chrysanthemum, representing the Emperor. In the center is the legendary Japanese bird, Yatagarasu, standing on turbulent waves with its wings spread. On either side of Yatagarasu are the intertwined flags of the Japanese Army and Navy. The reverse side depicts an Auspicious Cloud rising from the waves, with Mount Fuji in the background. In the middle of the Auspicious Cloud, the Kanji characters for “China Incident” are engraved.

The suspension above the medal is a swivel, connecting to the inscription clasp with the words “Military Service Medal.” The ribbon has a width of approximately 3.6 cm, and on both sides, it is symmetrically arranged with the colors “purplish blue, blue-gray, red-yellow, and red” in that order from the outer to inner side. This color scheme is the second most elaborate type among Japan’s military medals. Each color has its symbolism: purplish blue represents the navy, blue-gray represents the army aviation corps, red-yellow represents the army, and red symbolizes the blood-soaked land of China. The deep red in the center of the red symbolizes the loyalty and devotion of the military personnel.

This medal also has another variant believed to be awarded to non-military personnel. This variant shares the same appearance as the medal ribbon, but its design on both sides of the medal, as well as its suspension, are different. This variant is extremely rare in quantity.

物件編號: M109

年代: 公元 1939-1946 年

材料: 青銅

尺寸: 盒 109.1 x 59.7 x 21.3 / 獎章 29.3 x 79.6 x 2.0 mm

重量: 28.85 g

來源: 臺灣私人收藏 2022

此銅質獎章為日本昭和14年(公元1939年)7月27日布告的「支那事變從軍記章」，附有深藍色絲絨內襯的黑色收納盒，外盒有「支那事變從軍記章」燙銀字樣。該獎章授予七七盧溝橋事變(公元1937年)，中日兩國全面爆發衝突後，參與中國戰事的全體官兵。

彼時日本殖民下的臺灣人，直到公元1944年日本戰敗前夕方才有加入正規軍的資格。在此之前，有為數眾多的臺灣人以軍伕等非常規軍事身分，作為翻譯、技術員或勞工投入中國戰場，也有獲得該獎章的機會。公元1945年，第二次世界大戰結束前，日本陸續在八年內向中國派遣近260萬兵力，一度超過總兵力的一半，故此獎章的發行量極為龐大。

獎章的外觀為圓形，周圍帶有珠圈環繞。正面的上方在旭日光芒襯托下，帶有象徵天皇的菊紋章。中央是一隻矗立於海濤上，展開雙翼的日本神鳥「八咫烏」，八咫烏兩側則是交錯的日本陸軍聯隊旗及海軍軍艦旗。獎章背面是自海濤中騰升的瑞雲，並且映襯著富士山群峰。瑞雲的中間以篆體日本漢字刻有「支那事變」字樣。

獎章上方的帶爪螺旋式懸掛銜接「從軍記章」字樣銘條。綬帶寬度約為3.6公分，左右兩側以「濃桔梗色、納戶色、香色、紅色」外而內的順序對稱，是日本的軍事獎章中，綬帶配色第二豐富的類型。上述顏色有各自的象徵：濃桔梗色代表海軍、納戶色代表陸軍航空隊、香色代表陸軍、紅色象徵浸血的中國大地，紅色中央的一道深紅色則代表軍人的忠誠之心。

該獎章尚有另一種據信是頒予非軍事人員的變體。此變體僅有綬帶外觀和本獎章相同，其獎章雙面的設計和懸掛皆不同，數量極為稀少。