A question of money

[Ulsterman]

Recently I picked up a nice little Japanese ribbon bar at a flea market. At the end is the usual 300 Y awarded red cross medal. In speaking to RR, he opined that it was an officers' bar, as most NCOs and privates earned too little to be able to afford Red Cross membership at 300 Yen for the medal.

So, my question is, how much did a senior sergeant earn? How much did a Jr. Lt etc?

Is it possible to "guesstimate" that it is an officers' ribbon bar by the presence of the red cross medal ribbon?

The ribbon bar is a typical 3/2 with both Chinese campaign medals, the red cross at the end and what I assume are 7th/8th class Rising Sun and Sacred Treasures in 1st and 2nd place.

[Paul L Murphy]

Plenty of Japanese ORs and NCOs had the Red Cross Medal, it is often seen in photos being worn by these ranks. The annual fee was very affordable at the time, I do not think it was as high as 300 yen. Also if the group has a 7th or 8th class Sacred Treasure or Rising Sun then it was definitely not an officer group since the lowest class they received of these orders was the 6th class.

[Ulsterman]

Ah ha!

Many thanks for your answer!

How does one tell if its a 7th/8th class version of the Rising Sun or Sacred Treasure?

Do the ribbons change for the class of the order?

[Paul L Murphy]

If it is only a ribbon bar, rather than the medal bar, then you cannot tell the class of the order since the ribbon does not change.

[Ulsterman]

AH! Well, given the odds, perhaps its safe to assume lower classes of the orders?

[Brian Wolfe]

Hello Everyone,

It looks like no one was able to come up with a wage range for NCOs and above and I knew I had seen something relating to this but could not remember where.

Well, almost a month later I found it, or at least what I was looking for.

The average private earned 10 yen or equal to about $2.36 U.S in 1945.

Perhaps this will help to determine what the higher ranks made, perhaps not but, this is the wage for privates.

To put this in perspective, in 1937 a woman working in a department store in Canada made $7.50 per week. A Wireless Radio Operator in the RCAF in 1944-45 made $1.00 per day. These figures come from family records; yes we have always been obsessive compulsive types.

The information regarding tha Japanese soldier's wages came from a 1945 Anti-Japanese Propoganda Documentary that may be found at the link below.

Even though this is propoganga it is worth watching for the great film footage from the period that was used.

Regards

Brian