Japanese Awards - Great East Asia War Medal

[Gordon Williamson]

The one Japanese award that is heavy reproduced. Instituted June 1944, only a few were awarded before the end of the war and the allied occupation forces ordered remaining stocks destroyed so originals are virtually unobtainable.

This is an accurate copy. Some copies omit the reverse pattern, being plain and without any design.

[Gordon Williamson]

Obverse shows the Imperial Chrysanthemum crest over an eight pointed radiant star and crossed swords. The Kanji on the bar read "War Medal"

[Gordon Williamson]

Reverse, the characters on the shield read "Great East Asia War". The bar is on a slid which can move over the ribbon, unlike other medals which are fixed.

[Bob Hunter]

Looks like a handsome well executed award.