Beautiful & Rare Ca. 1942 Greater Japan Martial Arts Assoc. Merit Award Medal for Prowess in Archery

Beautiful and rare, circa 1942 Greater Japan Martial Arts Association Merit Award medal for Prowess in Archery (possibly awarded to a military police member). The gold and silver medal has lovely, intricate details and opens like a locket. The front depicts the likeness of Morimasaou Nashimoto Nomiya the Imperial Japanese Army Field Marshal & President of Great Japan Martial Arts Association on the front. The reverse shows kanji butoku for martial arts and beneath an embossed bow and two crossed arrows. The pinback is gold and the medal is suspended below from a hinged garland of roses, the inside of the medal displays a mirrored finish with Japanese kanji which read: "KOURO HYOUSYOU" (merit awards) on the right side and "Dinippon Butoku-Sousai-Taikuni-Morimasaou" (Great Japan Martial Arts Association President Morimasaou) on the left. During WWI, Prince Nashimoto became a member of the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff and was by August 1922, he was promoted to the rank of general. However, the Prince was charged as a "class A" war criminal for his role in supporting State Shintoism and as a result, both Prince and Princess Nashimoto were stripped of their imperial status and declared commoners in 1947.

Circa 1942

Approximately 1-1/2" x 7/8"

Silver and gold.

Horizontal pin with scrolling 'C' catch.

Japanese kanji

This is from a Japanese militaria collection which we will be listing more of over the next few months. ebay MDJX15 LEGEX5/15 SLDGEX5/16

9- (Excellent+): The badge shows minor wear, nearly all the plating details remain intact, overall excellent condition.

As with all my artifacts, this piece is guaranteed to be original, as described.