Item number: M118

Year: AD 1934

Material: Bronze

Size: case 109.3 x 59.5 x 20.5 / medal 29.2 x 82.9 x 2.0 mm

Weight: 31.85 g

Provenance: Private Collector, Japan, 2022

This medal is the “1931-34 China Incident War Medal” awarded in accordance with Imperial Decree No. 225 issued by Emperor Showa of Japan on July 21, AD 1934. It comes with a dark green leather case with gilt-lettering. This medal was primarily awarded to military personnel, their families, and civilian officials who served in the incident areas or traveled to and from those areas. In AD 1946, this medal was officially abolished.

The appearance of this item is a bronze circular medal. On the obverse side, there is a right facing golden kite with outspread wings that supports the chrysanthemum emblem which symbolizes the emperor of Japan. Both are surrounded by radiating beams of light. On the reverse side, aligned naval and army helmets are surrounded by cherry blossoms, and inside a frame formed by the helmet straps, the inscription in seal script Chinese characters reads “From the Sixth to Ninth Year of the Showa Incident.” The ribbon of this medal has symmetrical colors, starting from the outer side and moving inwards: red, reddish-brown, light red, yellow, and in the middle is a deep red color. Additionally, the ribbon has a plaque with the inscription “War Service Medal” hanging from it.

Golden Kite:
According to legend, during Emperor Jimmu’s eastern campaign against Nagasunehiko, when he found himself in a disadvantageous situation, the weather abruptly changed. At that moment, a golden kite alighted upon Emperor Jimmu’s bow, emitting a dazzling radiance that turned the tide in favor of Emperor Jimmu’s forces, ultimately leading to victory.

This medal commemorates the outbreak of the September 18th Incident in the sixth year of the Showa era (AD 1931), as well as the January 28th Incident, until the ninth year of the Showa era (AD 1934) when Japan successfully occupied the northeastern three provinces and established the puppet state of Manchukuo. It was awarded to military personnel who contributed to these incidents.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Empire of Japan pursued an expansionist agenda. On September 18, AD 1931, Japanese military personnel launched a staged attack on a railway near Shenyang in Manchuria, northeastern China. This staged event served as a pretext for Japan to launch a full-scale invasion of Manchuria, violating China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The incident led to the rapid occupation of Manchuria by Japanese forces, and in AD 1932, they established the puppet state of Manchukuo, with the last Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, Puyi, appointed as its nominal ruler.

This incident and the subsequent invasion of Manchuria marked the beginning of Japan’s expansionist policies in East Asia. Over the following years, despite international condemnation and diplomatic efforts to peacefully resolve the conflict, Japan further expanded its military presence and influence in China. In AD 1933, Japan chose to withdraw from the League of Nations despite criticism from the international community for its aggressive actions. This withdrawal symbolized Japan’s ambitions for imperialism.

By the year AD 1934, Japan had consolidated its control over Manchuria and continued military operations in other regions of China, including North China and Shanghai. The series of expansionist actions by the Japanese Empire aroused dissatisfaction among the Chinese people and intensified their resentment towards Japan. This escalation of anti-Japanese sentiment sparked protests and resistance within China.

物件編號: M118

年代: 公元 1934 年

材料: 青銅

尺寸: case 109.3 x 59.5 x 20.5 / medal 29.2 x 82.9 x 2.0 mm

重量: 31.85 g

來源: 日本私人收藏 2022

此枚獎章為昭和九年(公元1934年)7月21日根據日本昭和天皇頒布的《敕令第二百二十五號》所授予的「昭和六年乃至九年事變從軍記章」，附有燙金字的墨綠色皮盒。此獎章主要授予在事變地從事軍務以及往返於事變地的軍人、軍屬、文官…等，公元1946年，此獎章被正式廢除。 

該物件的外觀為一枚青銅圓形獎章，正面為一隻展翅的金鵄頭部面右側，以翅膀托舉著上方象徵日本天皇的菊紋章，菊紋章與獎章的周遭都有四射的光束。 背面則為並列的海軍頭盔與陸軍頭盔，頭盔被櫻花叢包圍著，頭盔盔帶圍繞成的框內以篆體漢字刻有「昭和六年乃至九年事變」。此枚獎章的綬帶顏色為左右對稱，由外至內分別為:紅海老茶色細條、緋褪色、淺紅色、黃色、中間則是濃紅色。另外綬帶還掛有「從軍記章」字樣銘牌。

金鵄:
金鵄是出現在《日本書紀》中的一隻金鳥(可能為鳶類)，帶領神武天皇建立了日本。傳說中神武天皇東征與長髓彥作戰時處於不利情形，此時天象驟變，一隻金鵄停在神武天皇的弓上，散發耀眼的光芒，使神武天皇的軍隊轉為上風，獲得了勝利。

此獎章為紀念昭和六年(公元1931年)九一八事變爆發，以及一二八事變、直至昭和九年(公元1934年)日本成功佔領東北三省並扶植滿州國政權，頒予對此次事變有貢獻的軍人。 

公元十九世紀末至二十世紀初，日本帝國奉行擴張主義。日本軍事人員於公元1931年9月18日在中國東北地區滿洲的沈陽附近的一條鐵路上發動了一次偽裝攻擊。這次偽裝事件成為日本發動對滿洲全面入侵的藉口，侵犯了中國的主權和領土完整。該事件導致日本軍隊迅速佔領了滿洲，並於公元1932年建立了傀儡政權滿洲國，清朝末代皇帝溥儀被安排擔任其名義上的統治者。 

此事變及其後對滿洲的入侵標誌著日本在東亞的擴張主義政策的開始。在接下來的幾年裡，儘管遭到國際譴責和外交努力試圖和平解決衝突，日本進一步擴大了在中國的軍事存在和影響力，並且於公元1933年不顧國際社會對其侵略行動的批評，選擇退出國際聯盟。這一退出亦象徵日本追求帝國主義的野心。 

到了公元1934年，日本已經鞏固了對滿洲的控制，並繼續在中國其他地區，包括華北和上海，進行軍事行動。日本帝國一連串擴張主義的作為引起中國人民的不滿，並加劇了中國人民對日本的反感情緒，引起中國國內的抗議與抵制。