Order of the Golden Kite
Order of the Golden Kite | |
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Type | Seven-class military award |
Awarded for | Bravery, leadership or command in battle. |
Presented by | the Empire of Japan |
Eligibility | Military personnel only |
Campaign(s) |
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Status | No longer awarded; abolished in 1947 |
Established | 12 February 1890 |
First awarded | 1890 |
Last awarded | 1945 |
Total | 1,067,492 |
The Order of the Golden Kite (金鵄勲章, Kinshi Kunshō) was an
Background
The Order of the Golden Kite was an exclusively
The order consisted of seven classes. Enlisted rank soldiers were eligible for the 7th–5th classes, non-commissioned officers were eligible for the 6th–4th classes, junior officers for the 5th–3rd classes, field grade officers for the 4th–2nd classes and general officers for the 3rd-1st classes.
A total of 1,067,492 Order of the Golden Kite awards were made over the history of the order, most of them in the two lower 6th and 7th classes. Only 41 of the 1st class and 201 of the 2nd class were awarded.
By conflict:
- First Sino-Japanese War: about 2000
- Russo-Japanese War: about 109,600
- World War I: about 3000
- Manchurian Incident: about 9000
- Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1941): about 190,000
- Pacific War: about 630,000
The award came with an annual monetary stipend, fixed in 1916. This was awarded for the lifetime of the recipient, and following his death, it would be awarded to the recipient's family for one year after. If the recipient died within 5 years of receiving the honor, the stipend would be awarded to the family until the end of the 5-year period.[3] In 1939, the stipends stood as follows:
- 1st Class – 1500 yen
- 2nd Class – 1000 yen
- 3rd Class – 700 yen
- 4th Class – 500 yen
- 5th Class – 350 yen
- 6th Class – 250 yen
- 7th Class – 150 yen
Since the monthly pay for a private in the Imperial Japanese Army at the time was 8 yen, 80 sen, this amounted to a very substantial reward. The monetary stipend was abolished in 1940.
The honor was sometimes awarded individually, sometimes awarded en masse. In mid-October 1942, posthumous awards were announced following ceremonies at the
The order of the Golden Kite was officially abolished by the
Classes | |||
Seventh Class | Sixth Class | Fifth Class | Fourth Class |
Third Class | Second Class | Grand Cordon |
Symbolism
The badge depicts a
The badge was a gilt starburst for the 1st-5th classes and different design in gilt for the 6th class and in silver for the 7th class. It was suspended on a ribbon in blue-green with a white stripe near the edges, worn as a sash on the left shoulder by the 1st class, as a necklet by the 2nd and 3rd classes, on the left chest by the 4th and 5th classes. The badges for 6th and 7th classes were non-enameled.
The star of the 1st and 2nd classes was similar to the badge as described above, but with both red and yellow enameled rays. It was worn on the left chest by the 1st class, on the right chest by the 2nd class.
Selected recipients
First Class
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Second Class
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Third Class
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Fourth Class
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Fifth Class
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Sixth Class
This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (January 2011) |
Seventh Class
This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (January 2011) |
See also
- Kite (bird)—raptor referenced in Imperial war decoration
Notes
- ^ M1 Chamberlain, Basil Hall. (1905) Things Japanese: Being Notes on Various Subjects Connected with Japan for the use of Travellers and Others, p. 114.
- ^ Corresponding article in the Italian Wikipedia
- ^ The Japan Year Book 1938–1939, Kenkyusha Press, Foreign Association of Japan
- ^ a b "Tokyo Awards List Big Officer Loss; Vice Admiral, 2 Rear Admirals and 2 Major Generals Win Posthumous Honors; 55 Naval Fliers Named; Group Included Covers the Japanese Pacific Dead Up to Mid-February", The New York Times, October 16, 1942.
- ^ "Japan's Hero's", Time. October 26, 1942.
- ^ "Nogi, Maresuke," Encyclopædia Britannica (12th ed.), Vol. XXX, p. 1139.
- ^ Honor awarded 1907 -- Barry, Richard. "The Passing of Japan's Supreme Genius," New York Times, July 29, 1906.
- ^ Awarded also third and fourth class of the same order [citation needed]
- ^ Honor awarded 1942 – "Tokyo Awards List Big Officer Loss; Vice Admiral, 2 Rear Admirals and 2 Major Generals Win Posthumous Honors; 55 Naval Fliers Named; Group Included Covers the Japanese Pacific Dead Up to Mid-February", The New York Times, October 16, 1942.
- ^ IJN 6th (Navy (submarine)) fleet Posthumous Admiral. (Solid Gold Hanko 34.8grms) also found belonging to Mr Takagi in Australia; presented with award possibly for a battle in 1943 (as inscribed on Gold Hanko)[citation needed]
- ^ "Pure Evil: Wartime Japanese Doctor Had No Regard for Human Suffering". The Medical Bag. GROUP DCA. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
- ^ Honor awarded 1942 – Tsuji, Masanobu. (1997). Japan's Greatest Victory, Britain's Worst Defeat, p. 108.
References
- Chamberlain, Basil Hall. (1905) Things Japanese: Being Notes on Various Subjects Connected with Japan for the Use of Travelers and Others, London: John Murray.
- Iwata Nishizawa. (1917). Japan in the Taisho era. In Commemoration of the Enthronement. Tokyo: __________. OCLC 28706155
- ISBN 978-0-415-15619-6.
- Peterson, James W., Barry C. Weaver and Michael A. Quigley. (2001). Orders and Medals of Japan and Associated States. San Ramon, California: Orders and Medals Society of America. ISBN 1-890974-09-9
- ISBN 978-1-873376-75-1(cloth)
External links
- Japan, Cabinet Office: Decorations and Medals—Order of the Golden Kite unmentioned in current system of honors
- Japan Mint: Production Process
- Imperial Japanese Navy Awards of the Golden Kite in World War II