JapanX Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 These heart-shape badges … What are they? What for? Some say they could be some sort of military alliance badges.... Others say that they are some sort of volunteer doctor group badges… Nope. I don’t think so. But let’s take a close look at different variations of these elegant badges. There are at least four different variations of this badge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanX Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 Variation 1 “White star” No pictures of the box, but those who so it say that the lid reads “White Star Badge”. Obverse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanX Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 Reverse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanX Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 Obverse close up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanX Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 Variation 2 “Red star” With and in the box (box inscription unreadable) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanX Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 Obverse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanX Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 Reverse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanX Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 (edited) Variation 3 “Yellow star” Obverse Edited April 4, 2012 by JapanX Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanX Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 Reverse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanX Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 Variation 4 “Star with green jewel” Obverse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanX Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 Reverse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanX Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 Obverse close up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanX Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 Reverse close up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanX Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 Another badge obverse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanX Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 Considerations Obverse: what we have here is three-finger Japanese dragon with colour star or star with some kind of jewel (Watatsumi-no-Kami? – Dragon God of water and protector of Japan). Star in the centre of the bow is obviously representing imperial army (or connection with it). Reverse: on background enamel red we see kanji Doumei (join, cooperation, brotherhood or alliance). Why somebody would think that this is volunteer doctor group of badges? Maybe this badge is responsible? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanX Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 Obverse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanX Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 Reverse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanX Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 This badge has similar form and dragon on obverse (nice looking cat on reverse by the way ). The obverse kanji reads Yakushido (Yakushi Hall – Buddhist temple) and Nakiryuu (Crying Dragon). The reverse kanji reads Nikkosan (area name). The Yakushi temple was built to venerate the “medicine Buddha” known as Yakushi in Japanese. But I think the link between this badge and previous group of badges is pretty weak (to put it mildly). No stars in sight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanX Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 (edited) Why somebody would think that this may be military alliance (between two countries) group of badges? Maybe because of the bow ribbon colours (especially in case of ribbon colours for variation 2 and variation 3) and reverse inscription (cooperation/alliance)? But what about variation 1 and variation 4 badges? What kind the alliance is this? Personally I don’t like these hypotheses. I think chances are pretty high that this is some unknown to us patriotic/army support/service women’s association badge. What do you think? Cheers, Nick Edited April 4, 2012 by JapanX Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fukuoka Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 (edited) This badge has similar form and dragon on obverse (nice looking cat on reverse by the way ). The obverse kanji reads Yakushido (Yakushi Hall – Buddhist temple) and Nakiryuu (Crying Dragon). The reverse kanji reads Nikkosan (area name). The Yakushi temple was built to venerate the “medicine Buddha” known as Yakushi in Japanese. But I think the link between this badge and previous group of badges is pretty weak (to put it mildly). No stars in sight The cat is 'nemuri-neko,' a somewhat famous symbol. See here: http://en.wikipedia....iki/Nemuri-neko Actually, I am ashamed to admit that I had solved the mystery of these badges a year or so ago and then lost all the information. It was online somewhere, and I thought I had copied and pasted it, and then I either lost the latter or perhaps had forgotten to copy it. And no use examining my memory since I just skimmed the info because of a lack of time. Anyway, the answer is out there. The key is in the box inscription, so if anyone has that, I think we could find out everything. Edited April 5, 2012 by fukuoka Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fukuoka Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 This badge has similar form and dragon on obverse (nice looking cat on reverse by the way ). The obverse kanji reads Yakushido (Yakushi Hall – Buddhist temple) and Nakiryuu (Crying Dragon). The reverse kanji reads Nikkosan (area name). The Yakushi temple was built to venerate the “medicine Buddha” known as Yakushi in Japanese. But I think the link between this badge and previous group of badges is pretty weak (to put it mildly). No stars in sight Yakushi-dou is not the name of a hall; it is the name of a type of Buddhism centered upon the Medicine Buddha. There are quite a few Yakushi-dou temples across Japan (and in other countries under different names). See here if interested: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhaisajyaguru Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fukuoka Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 (edited) In addition, Nikkou-san probably refers to this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rinnō-ji And Yakushi-dou is not the name of a hall; it is a type of Buddhist temple devoted to the Medicine Buddha. There are quite a few of these kinds of temples in Japan and in other countries (under different names, of course). If interested, see here: http://en.wikipedia....i/Bhaisajyaguru (SORRY: Double posted the last paragraph.) Edited April 5, 2012 by fukuoka Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanX Posted April 5, 2012 Author Share Posted April 5, 2012 And no use examining my memory since I just skimmed the info because of a lack of time. Info is still somewhere in subconsciousness! Examine your dreams Rich! Cheers, Nick P.S. Thanks for additional info about Yakushi-dou and Nikkou-san ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fukuoka Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 My dreams are a mess. But I'll try and meditate on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanX Posted August 27, 2012 Author Share Posted August 27, 2012 (edited) Anyway, the answer is out there. The key is in the box inscription, so if anyone has that, I think we could find out everything. Rings a bell Rich? Or too blurred? Edited August 27, 2012 by JapanX Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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