J009757 (IJA) 1937-1945 CHINA INCIDENT MEDAL & PHOTOGRAPH.  

A medal, established in 1939 and awarded to Japanese soldiers departing for service in the undeclared war against China (hence, "incident"), with an accompanying photograph. The 1 3/16" diameter bronze medal features, to its obverse, the mythical giant crow "yata-no-karasu," flanked by two Rising Sun flags (for the Army and Navy), whose upwardly-stretched wings encompass a sixteen-petaled Imperial Chrysanthemum, with radiating lines as the backdrop. To its reverse are three stylized mountains above, and stylized water beneath, a cloud bank, against which is a row of four kanji characters, translating to "China Incident." The swiveling hanger connected to the top of the medal features abstract foliage as its pattern, and is itself connected to a swiveling, horizontal bar, through which the ribbon passes. To the front of this bar is a horizontal plate, upon which are embossed a row of four kanji characters, translating to "War Medal." The 1 1/2" wide, watered silk ribbon has a narrow, vertical red stripe to its center, flanked by wider pink stripes, then even wider stripes in yellow, then narrow light blue, and, to its outside edges, narrow navy blue stripes. These represent, respectively, loyalty, the blood-stained soil of China, the Army, the Air Force, and the Navy. The 2 1/4" tall ribbon folds over 1 5/8" of the way up, where the alloy hook to its uppermost edge then mates with an alloy eye sewn to the mid-point of its reverse. The ribbon is only lightly age soiled, and medal and its bar have the patina of old bronze to their recesses. This medal was awarded until the summer of 1945, and was abolished in 1946. The 2" x 2 7/8", black and white photograph is a head and shoulders portrait of a bespeckled, First Class Private (as is evident from the Type 98 rank insignia sewn to either side of the stand-up collar of his tunic), wearing a fur-lined, cold weather cap with fold-down ear flaps and with an encircled, five-pointed star sewn to its front. Pinned above the right breast pocket of his wool, Type 5 tunic is a pin which is also in the form of an encircled, five-pointed star. Both this model tunic and cap were used primarily during the early campaign in China. The background is indistinct. The reverse of the image has paper remnants where it had evidently been removed from an album. The photograph is age yellowed and lightly soiled, most noticeably to the upper left of its obverse.

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