Digital museum showcasing the collection of worldwide legends over the years! 千古不朽博物館展示多年來收藏的世界傳奇故事!
Taiwan Branch of Japanese Red Cross Society
1st Annual Meeting Commemorative Badge
日本赤十字會臺灣支部
第一回總會紀念章
Item number: M334
Year: AD 1908
Material: Brass
Size: 22.7 x 22.7 x 1.4 mm
Weight: 5.0 g
Provenance: Private Collector, Taiwan, 2024
This is a commemorative badge issued in Meiji 41 (AD 1908) by the Taiwan branch of the Japanese Red Cross Society to mark the convening of its first annual meeting. The badge is made of brass.
The obverse of the badge features Prince Kan’in Kotohito of the Japanese Imperial Family. The prince is depicted with a Western-style haircut and a distinctive moustache, with clear and deep-set eyes. He is dressed in formal Western attire, adorned with medals on his chest. Above the portrait, the inscription “President Prince Kan’in” is engraved in seal script, reflecting the tradition of the Japanese Red Cross Society being led by members of the imperial family.
The reverse side contains three lines of text at the centre: “Commemorative Medal of the First General Assembly of the Taiwan Branch of the Japanese Red Cross Society.” Surrounding the text is the inscription “October 29, Meiji 41” (AD 1908). At the top of the medal, a hole and circular ring are included for attachment.
The Japanese Red Cross Society was officially established in Meiji 20 (AD 1887). In AD 1895, during Japan’s military campaign to take control of Taiwan, the society dispatched medical personnel to aid and established a branch in Taipei in June of that year. On April 1, AD 1902 (Meiji 35), the Taiwan Branch was formally established, with civil affairs chief Goto Shinpei serving as its first director.
The current “Red Cross Society of the Republic of China” operating in Taiwan is an entirely separate organisation with no historical connection to the former Taiwan branch of the Japanese Red Cross Society. After the end of World War II, the Taiwan branch’s headquarters in Taipei was seized by the Kuomintang (KMT) and repurposed as the KMT’s central office. In AD 1994, shortly before the city government was set to designate the building as a heritage site, the KMT demolished it, sparking controversy. The site is now occupied by the “Chang Yung-Fa Foundation Building.”