Japan Order of the Rising Sun. Rising Sun Awards

The award system of Japan began to take shape immediately after the Meiji Revolution, which took place in 1868, when, after almost 550 years of rule by shoguns (military rulers), power in the country again passed into the hands of the emperor. At the beginning of April 1868, in the imperial palace of Kyoto, the fourteen-year-old Emperor Mutsuhito, in front of a meeting of the court aristocracy and feudal princes, proclaimed an oath of a new government. It consisted of 5 paragraphs, stating that :

1. A wide assembly will be created, and all state affairs will be decided in accordance with public opinion.

2. All people (both rulers and ruled) should unanimously devote themselves to the cause of the nation's prosperity.

3. All military and civilian officials and all the common people will be allowed to pursue their own aspirations and develop their activities.

4. All bad practices of the past will be abolished; justice and impartiality as understood by all will be observed.

5. Knowledge will be borrowed all over the world, and in this way the foundations of the empire will be strengthened.

The Meiji reforms included the abolition of feudal principalities, agrarian reform, the capitalization of samurai pensions, etc. In Japan, they began to print newspapers, the Japanese calendar was formed according to the European model, the country began to quickly and effectively adopt all the most important world discoveries of that time in science and technology.

It was under such conditions that for several years, starting in 1875, most of the national awards were introduced in Japan. From the very beginning, new orders were insignia and encouragement for the Japanese themselves, however, some degrees of certain orders were also awarded to foreigners. In addition to crowned persons, diplomatic representatives of various ranks were most often awarded. To receive a Japanese award, a foreigner had to live in the country for 3 to 10 years.

The military medal was the first among Japanese awards. In the early 1870s, several Japanese ships were wrecked off the coast of Taiwan, and their crews were killed by the inhabitants of this island. At that time, Taiwan belonged to China, but the emperor of the Celestial Empire refused to accept responsibility for the actions of the Taiwanese. Then in Japan they decided to gather samurai, dissatisfied with the deprivation of their former privileges after the revolution, and send them to Taiwan to punish the guilty.

However, the leading European countries did not at all want Japan to interfere in the affairs of China, which was in the sphere of their interests. Under pressure from Western diplomacy, the Japanese government was formally forced to withdraw from the expedition, but General Tsugumishi went to Taiwan, as if on his own initiative, having bought two ships. On the island, the war with the Chinese was limited to complex maneuvers, as a result of which a truce was reached and the Japanese samurai returned home.

After these events in Japan, the first military award was established. Subsequently, many more will be created, and the Order of the Golden Falcon crowns the pyramid of Japanese military awards. The basis of the multi-colored and saturated with military paraphernalia of the order is the ancient banners and the golden falcon crowning them. An old legend tells that the first Japanese emperor Jimmu, trying to unite the country, divided among several princes, was defeated in a battle with them. But the emperor possessed magical powers and could communicate with the gods, and therefore the gods brought him a golden falcon, which advised the emperor to resume the battle at dawn and advance from the east. The rays of the rising sun and the radiance of the golden falcon blinded the enemies, and victory was on the side of Emperor Jimmu.

The Order of the Golden Falcon was established in 1890, but almost 20 years earlier (in 1871) the State Council decided to establish an order in Japan, although at that time even a name for it was not invented. Only one thing was clear: the order would be established on the model of European awards. Three years passed in the discussion of projects for a new award and the manufacture of test samples, and only in April 1875 they officially approved the Order of the Rising Sun - one of the most beautiful orders in the world.

The Order of the Rising Sun has 8 degrees, which differ in the color of the sashes, size and some other features of the sign. For the order sign of all degrees of the Order of the Rising Sun (except for the two lower ones), the basis is the same star. The star has 32 rays, and in the middle of it is a sparkling sun made of red enamel (there is no inscription on it). And it really "sparkles", since the center of the order is a concave glass covered with a small red lens. Three branches are placed above the star: a green pendant is attached to the middle of them for wearing the order on a ribbon, depicting the leaves and flowers of the sacred tree Tokwa (Tree of Life).

The badge of the 1st degree is a star worn on the right side of the chest, and a star on a ribbon over the right shoulder; the sign of the Order of the Rising Sun of the II degree is a star without a ribbon, which is worn on the right side of the chest, the III degree of the order is a star that is worn around the neck on a ribbon, etc. With order signs of I, III and IV degrees, the rays are made of white enamel and surrounded by a gold frame. Star of the Order of the Rising Sun, 2nd class - smaller, with golden rays: superimposed on a larger star with silver rays. The sash is white with red stripes along the edges.

The two lowest degrees of the Order of the Rising Sun were intended to reward soldiers and officials of low rank. Their badge is an enlarged pendant worn like a medal. It consists of three green enameled leaves with golden branches for the VII degree and with silver branches for the VIII degree.

A year later, in 1876, the highest and completely independent degree of the Order of the Rising Sun, the Order of the Chrysanthemum, was established in Japan. This is a favorite flower of the Japanese, and it has been cultivated in the country since time immemorial: it is a national flower, all the Japanese people are fond of growing it, from the emperor to the poorest people. The chrysanthemum is sung by many poets, folk holidays are held in honor of it. Wonderful compositions are made from chrysanthemums, depicting groups of people and even entire historical scenes. Here you can see scenes of battles, when the blood "flows" in a stream; "floating" ships with fluttering sails; brave heroes defeat monsters emerging from rocks, waterfalls “foam”…

The image of a chrysanthemum is sacred, and, based on state laws, only members of the imperial house have the right to wear clothes made of fabric with a flower pattern. In case of violation of this law, as well as for any attempt to depict this Japanese emblem and symbol of imperial power, all other Japanese were punished by death. The reason for such veneration by the Japanese of this particular flower is explained by its very name: "kiku" - the sun, which gives life to all life on earth. As such a symbol, the chrysanthemum began to be used in Japan a very long time ago, and the image of the chrysanthemum on the blade of a saber, which belonged to the then reigning mikado in the 12th century, serves as proof of this.

The Order of the Chrysanthemum is intended only for members of the imperial house and crowned persons. The badge of the order is similar to the badge of the Order of the Rising Sun, only around it are four yellow chrysanthemum flowers with leaves, and the largest flower crowns the badge on top.

In 1888, another high degree of the Order of the Rising Sun appeared in Japan - the Order of Tokwa and the Sun. Its sign at the ends of the rays is decorated with five-petalled lilac flowers, and at the top - the leaves and flowers of Tokva.

In the same year, two more Japanese awards were established - the Order of the Holy Crown (intended for women) and the Order of the Sacred Treasure. It should be recalled that there are three sacred treasures in Japan: a mirror, a jasper and a sword. According to legend, the Japanese imperial surname originated from Amaterasu, the sun goddess.

Once the goddess was angry with her brother Susanoo, the god of winds and storms, for committing acts that in ancient Japan were considered the gravest sins. Susanoo destroyed the irrigation systems in the fields cultivated by Amaterasu, defiled her chambers, skinned a live horse, and frightened the weavers of heaven, who, along with the goddess, were engaged in weaving to death. The angry goddess took refuge in the grotto, and the world plunged into darkness.

And then the heavenly deities began to come up with different ways to lure Amaterasu out of the cave. First, they brought a torii (perch) to the cave and planted on them "long-singing birds", roosters, whose cry heralds the coming of the morning. When this was not enough, the deities made a large bronze mirror and hung it on the branches of a tree at the entrance to the cave. To top it off, the goddess Ame no uzume started dancing on an overturned cauldron and threw off her clothes in ritual ecstasy. This caused great amusement among the celestials, and they began to laugh out loud.

Hearing the burst of laughter, Amaterasu slightly peeked out of the cave to find out what was the matter. And the gods, answering that a brighter sun had appeared among them, began to show the goddess a large mirror. Amazed by her reflection, Amaterasu froze for a few moments in a daze, which was taken advantage of by the heavenly strongman god Ame no chiticarao. He pulled the goddess out of the cave, and sunlight returned to the world.

This mirror, as well as jasper pendants and a sword, the goddess Amaterasu handed over to her grandson Ninigino Mikoto with the following words: “Light up the world as brightly as this mirror. Rule the world with the miraculous swing of these jasper pendants. Conquer those who will not obey you by brandishing this divine sword." Ninigino Mikoto, in turn, passed on the divine treasures to his descendants - the Japanese emperors.

These treasures were to be kept forever in the imperial palace, since without them the imperial power would be incomplete. But during the long wars between the Taira and Minamoto clans fighting for power, the sacred sword sank into the sea. Thus, only two relics remained, which is reflected in the badge of the Order of the Sacred Treasure. It is a white-enamelled cross made of beams of different lengths. In the center of the cross, a silver mirror is superimposed on blue enamel, and around it is a necklace of red enamel circles, symbolizing jasper pendants.

Order of the Rising Sun (旭日章)

The Order of the Rising Sun (Jap. 旭日章, kyokuji-tsusho) was established by decree of the State Council on April 10, 1875. It is intended to reward both military and civilians. He has eight degrees (you can also say that he has 6 degrees of the order and 2 degrees of the medal of the order). It is one of the main orders awarded for merit.

They were awarded quite often by both the Japanese and foreigners. Basically, these were awards for the military in the two lower degrees of the order. The awards were carried out in accordance with the rank of a soldier, starting from the eighth degree of the order for privates and ending with the first degree for generals. These orders were also awarded to civil officials, based on their position.
The badge of the order has a red enamel cabochon in the center, symbolizing the sun depicted on the national flag of Japan.

The cabochon is surrounded by 32 narrow white-enamelled double rays forming an eight-pointed star. The badge's pendant is made in the form of the coat of arms of paulownia with green leaves and purple flowers. Orders from the first to the fourth degree have the imperial coat of arms of Paulownia with the image of five, seven and five flowers on three stems, respectively, while on the awards of the fifth and sixth degrees on three stems we see three, five and three flowers (that is, the coat of arms of the princes of the imperial families). The reverse side is identical to the front one, except that the paulownia leaves are not veined and have a four-character inscription meaning "Reward of Merit".
Ribbon is white with 6mm red edges. The ribbon is officially 30mm wide, but the 1875 issue had a 36mm wide ribbon, which was originally non-Mara, white, and crimson edged. Modern ribbons are moiré, white in color and have bright red edges. The early insignia of the order, made by Master Hirata around the mid-1870s, can be identified by the slightly wider grooves between the rays and the slightly sunken yellowish-white enamel. Subsequently, the signs had extremely narrow grooves between the rays and were covered with pure white enamel.
Badge of the Order of the Rising Sun on the Great Ribbon(order of the first degree) has a size of 76 mm by 115 mm, made of gilded silver. The shoulder strap, white with 18mm red edges, is officially supposed to be 121mm wide, but was usually made 106mm wide. Early ribbons were of non-Mara silk and without a rosette, with crimson edges. They were then made of stiff rosette moiré silk, creamy white with rather dark red edges. The latest editions are made of softer, though more densely woven, moiré silk, pure white with bright red edges, and a regular rosette.
The star of the order of the first degree is convex, 91 mm in diameter. The sign of the sun, gilded with enamel, is superimposed on an eight-pointed star, consisting of 24 double silver rays with polished edges. The reverse side is silver, it shows 4 screw heads and 4 hieroglyphs, meaning "Reward of Merit".

Order of the Rising Sun 2nd Class with double rays ("The Order of the Rising Sun with a star with gold and silver rays") originally had only the star of the order, which was worn on the right side of the chest. However, by Imperial Edict No. 76 of November 17, 1888, it was established that at the same time the badge of the Order was worn around the neck, and Directive No. 1 of November 19, 1888, issued by the Imperial Council for Awards, determined that this badge was similar to the badge of the Order of the third degree.
Order of the Rising Sun, Third Class on the middle ribbon (“The Order of the Rising Sun with golden rays, with a ribbon around the neck”) has a size of 55 mm by 88 mm, made of gilded silver, suspended with a golden eye from a ribbon 36 mm wide. Worn around the neck.

Order of the Rising Sun 4th class on a small ribbon (“The Order of the Rising Sun with golden rays, with a rosette on a ribbon”) measuring 46 mm by 74 mm is made of gilded silver and, like higher degrees, has a pendant in the form of the imperial coat of arms of paulownia, on the stems of which are located respectively five, seven and five flowers.

Order of the Rising Sun, 5th class(“The Order of the Rising Sun with gold and silver rays”), with paired rays, 46 mm by 71 mm in size, is made of gilded silver, but those of its rays that go diagonally are not gilded. There are three, five and three flowers respectively on the pendant in the form of the coat of arms of paulownia on three stems.

Order of the Rising Sun 6th Class(“The Order of the Rising Sun with Silver Rays”), with single rays, has the same size and appearance as the order of the fifth degree, but it has no gilding at all.
When it became obvious that awards of the fourth, fifth and sixth degrees are difficult to distinguish between themselves, on October 25, 1886, the imperial council for awards, with the approval of the emperor, issued a decree stating that the award of the fourth degree should be worn with a rosette on a ribbon and those who had previously received an order of this degree, rosettes of various varieties were attached to the ribbon (modern rosettes have a diameter of 22 mm). And around 1940, the already slightly shorter rays of the order of the sixth degree were further shortened, which gave it a slightly more rounded appearance and made it easy to recognize.

Order of the Seventh Class ("Order of the Rising Sun, Green Paulownia Medal"), with green paulownia leaves, has a size of 31 mm by 33 mm, made of silver and enameled on both sides. In appearance, it repeats the shape of the pendant of the orders of the fifth and sixth degrees (the paulownia coat of arms with three, five and three flowers on three stems). On the back, on a smooth enamel surface, there are the usual four hieroglyphs. Copies quite noticeably differ from each other in shades of enamel color, and some of them, made during the Second World War by private firms, do not have enamel on the reverse.

Order of the eighth degree ("Order of the Rising Sun, White Paulownia Medal"), with white paulownia leaves, has the same size and shape, but is entirely made of polished silver without enamel.

The first of those who, not being a member of the imperial family, was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun on the Great Ribbon was in February 1878 Lieutenant General Saigo Tsugumichi, who led the Japanese military expedition to Taiwan in 1874.
Commander of the Order of the Rising Sun, 3rd Class, Rear Admiral Tanaka Raidzo distinguished himself as the commander of naval groups that operated effectively at night. He is also known for his skillful maneuvering of forces during the battle for the island of Guadal Canal. The group of warships headed by him at that time received the nickname "Tokyo Express" for the efficiency and sophistication of actions.
In the middle of 1943, Tanaka spoke to the top military leadership
Japan has serious concerns about the heavy losses suffered by the Japanese naval forces, thus becoming objectionable. And when in July 1943 his flagship was sunk during the battle in the Solomon Islands, this was the reason for the removal of Rear Admiral from the command post. In fact, he was made a "scapegoat" for a major defeat of the Japanese in the Solomon Islands.
Beginning in 1877, all those awarded the Order of the Rising Sun were assigned an annual life-long pension: from 840 yen for holders of the first degree of the order to 40 yen for holders of the eighth degree. Subsequently, as inflation increased, the size of pensions increased. In 1967, these payments were canceled (the persons who received them were given a one-time compensation of 30,000 yen).
Foreigners were also awarded the Order of the Rising Sun. Thus, in 1968, on the centenary of the Meiji Revolution, Rockefeller, president of the New York Japan-USA Society, received the Order of the Rising Sun, first degree, on the Great Ribbon. In November 1997, Professor of the Institute of Asian and African Countries (ISAA) at Moscow State University V. S. Grivnin was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun of the fourth degree for his contribution to the study of Japanese literature, the creation of the Russian school of Japanese studies and the development of cultural ties between the two countries.

KYOKUJI-TSUSHO
Order of the Rising Sun

The Decree of the Council of State, which approved the award, prescribes the awarding of both military and civilians. The order has eight degrees (it can also be said that it has 6 degrees of the order and 2 degrees of the medal of the order).
Is one of the main orders awarded for merit. They were awarded quite often by both the Japanese and foreigners. Basically, these were awards for the military in the two lower degrees of the order. The awards were carried out in accordance with the rank of a soldier, starting from the eighth degree of the order for privates and ending with the first degree for generals. These orders were also awarded to civil officials, based on their position.
The badge of the order has a red enamel cabochon in the center, symbolizing the sun depicted on the national flag of Japan. The cabochon is surrounded by 32 narrow white-enamelled double rays forming an eight-pointed star. The badge's pendant is made in the form of the coat of arms of paulownia with green leaves and purple flowers. Orders from the first to the fourth degree have the imperial coat of arms of Paulownia with the image of five, seven and five flowers on three stems, respectively, while on the awards of the fifth and sixth degrees on three stems we see three, five and three flowers (that is, the coat of arms of the princes of the imperial families).
The reverse side is identical to the front one, except that the paulownia leaves have no veins and there is an inscription of four hieroglyphs meaning "Reward of merit".
Ribbon - white with 6mm red edges. The ribbon is officially 30 mm wide, but the 1875 issue had a 36 mm wide ribbon, which was originally non-Mara, white, and crimson edged. Modern ribbons are moiré, white in color and have bright red edges. The early insignia of the order, made by Master Hirata around the mid-1870s, can be identified by the slightly wider grooves between the rays and the slightly sunken yellowish-white enamel. Subsequently, the signs had extremely narrow grooves between the rays and were covered with pure white enamel.

Sign of the Order of the Rising Sun on the Great Ribbon (order of the first degree) has a size of 76 mm by 115 mm, made of gilded silver. The shoulder strap, white with 18mm red edges, is officially supposed to be 121mm wide, but was usually made 106mm wide. Early ribbons were of non-Mara silk and without a rosette, with crimson edges. They were then made of stiff moiré silk with a rosette, creamy white with rather dark red edges. The latest editions are made of softer, though more densely woven, moiré silk, pure white with bright red edges, and a regular rosette.
The star of the order of the first degree is convex, 91 mm in diameter. The sign of the sun, gilded with enamel, is superimposed on an eight-pointed star, consisting of 24 double silver rays with polished edges. The reverse side is silver, it shows 4 screw heads and 4 hieroglyphs, meaning "Reward of Merit".

Order of the Rising Sun 2nd Class with double rays ("Order of the Rising Sun with a star with gold and silver rays") originally had only the star of the order, which was worn on the right side of the chest. However, by Imperial Edict No. 76 of November 17, 1888, it was established that at the same time the badge of the Order was worn around the neck, and Directive No. 1 of November 19, 1888, issued by the Imperial Council for Awards, determined that this badge was similar to the badge of the Order of the third degree.

Order of the Rising Sun, Third Class on the middle ribbon ("The Order of the Rising Sun with golden rays, with a ribbon around the neck") has a size of 55 mm by 88 mm, made of gilded silver, suspended by a golden eye from a ribbon 36 mm wide. Worn around the neck.

Order of the Rising Sun 4th class on a small ribbon ("The Order of the Rising Sun with golden rays, with a rosette on a ribbon") measuring 46 mm by 74 mm is made of gilded silver and, like higher degrees, has a pendant in the form of the imperial coat of arms of paulownia, on the stems of which are located respectively five, seven and five flowers.

Order of the Rising Sun, 5th class("The Order of the Rising Sun with gold and silver rays"), with paired rays, 46 mm by 71 mm in size, is made of gilded silver, but those of its rays that go diagonally are not gilded. There are three, five and three flowers respectively on the pendant in the form of the coat of arms of paulownia on three stems.

Order of the Rising Sun 6th Class("Order of the Rising Sun with silver rays"), with single rays, has the same size and appearance as the order of the fifth degree, but it has no gilding at all. When it became obvious that the awards of the fourth, fifth and sixth degrees are difficult to distinguish from each other, October 25, 1886. the imperial council for awards, with the approval of the emperor, issued a decree stating that the award of the fourth degree should be worn with a rosette on a ribbon, and those who had previously received the order of this degree attached rosettes of various varieties to the ribbon (modern rosettes have a diameter of 22 mm). And since about 1940, the already slightly shorter rays of the order of the sixth degree were further shortened, which gave it a slightly more rounded appearance and made it easy to recognize.

Order of the seventh degree also known as the "Order of the Rising Sun, Green Paulownia Medal", with green paulownia leaves, measures 31mm by 33mm, is made of silver and enameled on both sides. In appearance, it repeats the shape of the pendant of the orders of the fifth and sixth degrees (the paulownia coat of arms with three, five and three flowers on three stems). On the back, on a smooth enamel surface, there are the usual four hieroglyphs. Copies quite noticeably differ from each other in shades of enamel color, and some of them, made during the Second World War by private firms, do not have enamel on the reverse.

Order of the eighth degree also known as the "Order of the Rising Sun, White Paulownia Medal", with white paulownia leaves, is the same size and shape, but entirely made of burnished silver without enamel.

Order of the eighth degree ("Order of the Rising Sun, White Paulownia Medal"), with white paulownia leaves, has the same size and shape, but is entirely made of polished silver without enamel.

The first of those who, not being a member of the imperial family, was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun on the Great Ribbon was in February 1878 Lieutenant General Saigo Tsugumichi, who led the Japanese military expedition to Taiwan in 1874.
Commander of the Order of the Rising Sun, 3rd Class, Rear Admiral Tanaka Raidzo distinguished himself as the commander of naval groups that operated effectively at night. He is also known for his skillful maneuvering of forces during the battle for the island of Guadal Canal. The group of warships headed by him at that time received the nickname "Tokyo Express" for the efficiency and sophistication of actions.
In the middle of 1943, Tanaka spoke to the top military leadership
Japan has serious concerns about the heavy losses suffered by the Japanese naval forces, thus becoming objectionable. And when in July 1943 his flagship was sunk during the battle in the Solomon Islands, this was the reason for the removal of Rear Admiral from the command post. In fact, he was made a "scapegoat" for a major defeat of the Japanese in the Solomon Islands.
Beginning in 1877, all those awarded the Order of the Rising Sun were assigned an annual life-long pension: from 840 yen for holders of the first degree of the order to 40 yen for holders of the eighth degree. Subsequently, as inflation increased, the size of pensions increased. In 1967, these payments were canceled (the persons who received them were given a one-time compensation of 30,000 yen).
Foreigners were also awarded the Order of the Rising Sun. So, in 1968, on the centenary of the Meiji revolution, the president of the New York Society of Japan-USA Rockefeller received the Order of the Rising Sun of the first degree on the Great Ribbon. In November 1997, Professor of the Institute of Asian and African Countries (ISAA) at Moscow State University V. S. Grivnin was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun of the fourth degree for his contribution to the study of Japanese literature, the creation of the Russian school of Japanese studies and the development of cultural ties between the two countries.

Description:

Medal of the Order of the Rising Sun VIII class in a box. Japan.

Japan awards.

Expertise.

The presented award of Imperial Japan is an authentic Order (Medal of the Order) of the Rising Sun of the 8th degree, made of white metal (silver) by casting.
The order, with its front relief ornamented side (obverse), reproduces the image of paulownia of the go-san-no-kiri type (3-5-3 flowers in an inflorescence).

The image of paulownia (kiri) was already widely used at the court of Emperor Saga (809-823). Paulownia (kiri) along with chrysanthemum (kiku) became a symbol of the imperial family of Japan.
Subsequently, for special services to the emperor, the right to wear this symbol in the form of a coat of arms (mon), an element of decor on weapons and clothes, began to be given to representatives of the samurai service class.
In the XX century. the image of paulownia was applied to the rim of the swords of Japanese diplomats of the rank of sonnin, daggers of representatives of the railway department, as well as swords and daggers of the General Government of Korea under the mandate of Japan.

The award is fastened with a hairpin located on the reverse side of a white ribbon with two red stripes, which holds the order with a ring.

On the back (reverse) of the order, on a smooth surface, there are four hieroglyphic symbols in Japanese, applied to the metal by mechanical means.

Hieroglyphic inscription: 勲功旌章

Russian transliteration: “Kunko Seisho“

Translation: “For exceptional merit”

The order is placed in a case, which is made of wood (Japanese magnolia honoki) and covered with a black paint layer.

The inside of the case is lined with blue-violet velvet.
When closed, the case is fixed with a metal figured clasp.

On the lid of the case there is a hieroglyphic inscription in Japanese, consisting of eight characters, applied with golden lacquer.
Hieroglyphic inscription:
勲
八
等
白
色
桐
葉
章
Russian transliteration: “Kun hachi-to Hakushoku toyosho”

Translation: “Order of the Rising Sun
eighth degree."

History reference.
The Order of the Rising Sun was established by a decree of the Supreme Imperial State Council of April 10, 1875 (the reign of Emperor Mutsuhito) and became the second highest status award after the Order of the Chrysanthemum.
In December 1875, in Tokyo (formerly Edo), the first ceremony of awarding the orders of Imperial Japan took place. The awards were presented to the emperor - mikado Mutsuhito (Meiji) and seven members of the imperial family.
One of the first who was not a member of the imperial family, but was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun of the highest degree, was the military and politician Saigo Tsugumichi, the younger brother of Saigo Takamori, who led the Satsuma samurai uprising in 1877. The order had eight degrees, from of which the eighth was the lowest.
The Order of the Rising Sun was awarded (exclusively to men, and since 2003 to women) both representatives of the imperial army and navy, and civilians for exceptional services to Japan. In addition, in some cases, this order was awarded to foreign citizens.
One of the first Europeans to receive this high imperial award for heroism in battle was Rear Admiral of the Russian Imperial Fleet, captain of the Varyag cruiser, Vsevolod Fedorovich Rudnev.

During the period of occupation, which was the result of the surrender of Imperial Japan in 1945, a large number of items belonging to both the war period and early eras were taken from the territory of the island state by representatives of the allied forces as trophies. Among such trophies there are traditional Japanese swords, swords of the army and navy, awards of Imperial Japan, etc.
The award in question - the Order (Medal of the Order) of the Rising Sun of the 8th degree, can be dated to the first half of the 20th century. - the period when Imperial Japan conducted military operations in the Pacific basin zone (the reign of Emperor Hirohito).

Based on the list of categories of items falling under the Law of the Russian Federation of April 15, 1993 No. 4804-1 “On the export and import of cultural property”, as well as on the basis of the totality of features identified during the study, the Order (medal of the Order) of the Rising Sun VIII degree is a cultural value.

Buy Order of the Rising Sun 8th class, price 3.000 rub. Orders and medals of Japan (Japanese awards), purchase, sale, appraisal.

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