Japan imperial army dog association badges

[mickey]

hi all just thought id post these badges i have and wanted to ask were they military awards or given by an organisation on the periphery info is a bit sketchy thanks

[JapanX]

Well, as far as I understand both badges were issued by this (slightly mysterious ) Imperial Army Dog Association.

Looks like on the right we have special award from Tokyo branch of organization and on the left is one of these "participation badges".

Military awards?

Hmmm...

More like military related

Anyway, here comes very interesting info from Elmer Veldkamp (Department of Cultural Anthropology, University of Tokyo) working paper "Animal monuments and memorials in pre-war Japan and postwar developments: on the treatment of monuments for the human and animal war dead" presented at Yale University on March 26, 2008 (full text is available online here http://todai-yale.jp/resources/docs/Mr.VeldkampEn.pdf)

Compared to war horses, the history of war dogs is more recent, but the experimental stage

overlaps with that of carrier pigeons. It is said that the initial steps that lead to the utilization

of dogs in the Imperial Army were taken by police lieutenant Hagiwara Takuji of the

Shibaguchi police office around 1912-1913, when he began gathering information and

knowledge about dog training and conducted training experiments near his house in Nakano.

In 1916, the dogs were transferred to the Ueno police station to help fight crime in central

parts of the city. In 1920 the project was discontinued due to economical difficulties, but the

experience and knowledge about dog training that had been obtained was to play a role in the

raising of war dogs later on as well (Imagawa 1996).

The utilization of war dogs in Germany and Belgium during WorldWar I was observed with

great interest, and in 1919 a war dog section was established at the Imperial Army's Infantry

School (rikugun hoheigakkō) in Chiba, effectively starting research and education concerning

the raising and training of war dogs. From this time on, books concerning the training of dogs

start to be published, and the conclusion is drawn that rather than Japanese dog breeds, the

foreign breeds (especially German Shepherds) were considered to be suitable for military use.

From the 1920s onward war dog breeding starts to spread over the country. In 1928 the South

Manchurian Railway Company (SMRC) employed sentry dogs to secure its mines, and from

the 1930s the breeding and management of military animals expands over the national

borders to the colonies of Manchuria and the Korean peninsula as well. The Dictionary of

National Defense (Kokubō Daijiten) states that we may say this is still an experimental

phase. In due time, this will probably develop into a War Dog Squad (gunyōkentai), and

acknowledgement of the developmental character of war dogs in Japan is flanked by

expressions of their splendidness (subarashisa) at the same time. Moreover, some in the

Army suggest that investigation be put into the actual number of German shepherds in Japan

and that they be trained for mobilization with the eye on future times of war. In the 1930s

the results of these training experiments are put to practice, and the use of war dogs takes off

in earnest.

3. THE GOLDEN AGE OF WAR DOGS: FROM THE MUKDEN INCIDENT ONWARD

The Mukden Incident (Manshū Jihen) of September 18, 1931, became an opportunity for

war dog fever to really take off. In Manchuria breeding and raising war dogs had already

taken on mature proportions, and stories of their achievements in the various battles

broadened recognition and estimation of war dogs on the Japanese mainland as well. At that

time, the Japan Shepherd Club (established in 1928), a civilian gathering of dog-lovers

already existed, but in 1932 the Imperial War Dog Association (Teikoku Gunyōken Kyōkai)

was established, which had the purpose to promote development of war dogs.

In the same year the war dog association was established, the Association for Preservation

of Japanese Dogs (Nihonken Hozonkai) came into being, and as we will see later in this paper,

the stories of Nachi and Kongō (two war dogs that died in the Mukden Incident) and of the

loyal dog (chūken) Hachikō decorated the newspaper pages. These occurrences indicated a

growing interest among the general public for both dogs as pets and military dogs.

The sudden surge in demand for war dogs following the Mukden Incident could not be met

by the war dog breeding stations (gunyōken ikuseisho) alone, and the army commenced the

purchase of civilian dogs and began to accept dogs donated by War Dog Association members.

Cover pages of the associations journal Gunyōken (1932-1944) of the latter half of the 1930s

are covered with slogans such as One member per household! One dog per household!

(Kogoto ni kaiin! Kogoto ni gunken!; issue 7-9), One household, one dog Service to the army

and the country! (Ikko ikken Gunkoku hōshi!, issue 7-10), Start by keeping a dog enter

the War Dog Association (Mazu kae gunken haireyo teiken ,issue 8-3), illustrating the

atmosphere at that time clearly.

:cheers:

Edited April 14, 2013 by JapanX

[mickey]

Thanks for the info nick

[JapanX]

Bow-wow!

[JapanX]

Another doggy

[paul wood]

The Colombians have the best award, The Canine Merit Decoration (Al Merito Canino), which is placed round my labradors neck on special ocassions. I presume the decoration was awarded to police dogs based on the number of felons or government opponents they bit where it really hurts.

Paul

[JapanX]

... which is placed round my labradors neck on special ocassions.

I wonder what are these "special ocassions"

[paul wood]

When we have guests or family events. Identical lab to mine.

Paul

[JapanX]

When we have guests or family events.

Please make some photos next time!

I mean your lab wearing al merito canino

[paul wood]

I will try and persuade her to keep still next time she wears it, obverse of Cross has gilt head of German Shepherd cross black and yellow, reverse plain gilt with inscription Honor al Merito Canino

[JapanX]

Another brave doggy

[paul wood]

Looks considerably more intellegent than his master.

Paul

[JapanX]

Both don`t have any medals

[paul wood]

Re Colombian Honor al Merito Canino

1) Decoration on wife's hand

2) Willow Wood wearing decoration

3) Willow Wood looking cute.

Paul

[JapanX]

3) Willow Wood looking cute.

and in pensive mood

"Another rainy day in London ... Paul is playing with his medals again ... Same old, same old..."

Thanks for the pictures!

P.S. This chap-fallen monster on the central medallion looks really aggressive!

[JapanX]

Nice one!

[mickey]

slightly different angle

[JapanX]

And this is how individual award for a brave doggy (who died in Manchuria) looks like

[JapanX]

Prize collar

Doc

Ashes

[mickey]

couple more photos loyal dog monument in zushi, photo of major itaru itakura (the boss far left) and colleagues of the military dog research group in 1930

[JapanX]

Nice photos Mickey!