Japanese Navy Collar tab I.D please

**Danger** · 07-31-2018, 07:11 AM

Hi Guys,

I was looking through a lot of WWII Japanese ZAIGO GUNJIN-KAI badges and Navy buttons and I saw this.
At first I thought it was some kind of fantasy item or maybe related to the ZAIGO GUNJIN-KAI as a rank in the group?
Blue being the most senior.

BLUE: Advisors; Honorable Participants; Honorable Deliberation members
GREEN: General Affairs Heads. Counselors, Participants, Directors & Trustees, Inspectors,
Regular Deliberation Members, Councilors, Navy Heads & Vice-Heads
RED: Meeting Leader and Vice-Leader; Association Unit Leaders and Vice-Leaders
ORANGE: Group Leaders and Vice-Leaders; Unit Leaders and Vice-Leaders

It's really doing my head in, I can't figure it out.
I've never seen one before and the way it's made makes me question it.
Does anyone know what it is?
I'm told it's a bring back item, but is it military?
Bring back from a pachinco parlour? Anime shop? Art?

Could it be a sweetheart object?

Thanks again,

Danger

**Nick Komiya** · 07-31-2018, 08:28 AM

I was hoping to see that patch on the forum some day, so it's great to see, thanks. You have a navy button and a Breast Rank Patch for a Sounin-kan, a Senior (Lt to Colonel equivalent) rank of a civilian in army employ (Gunzoku). It is missing the gold or yellow piping around it. He would have been entitled to wear an army officer's sword and tassel, though being civilian. I had thought those were collar patches, but in rereading the regs, I now realize they were worn above the right chest pocket.

Read this article for details on those civilians in the army.

**Danger** · 07-31-2018, 08:38 AM

Thanks mate!!
Are they rare? Should I buy it?
He wants $50NZD for what's in the picture.
Is that a fair price?

**RussM** · 07-31-2018, 08:42 AM

Thanks for the info Nick, I always thought these were collar tabs as well.

Regards

Russ

**Nick Komiya** · 07-31-2018, 08:49 AM

They are rarer than army tabs, because they were a tiny minority, but of course they aren't sexy for military collectors. Its like getting asked how much one should pay for WW2 German Army Sonderführer tabs. I don't collect them, but Euro 30 isn't expensive in my opinion.

**Danger** · 07-31-2018, 09:02 AM

They're sexy for me.
Thank you for your help and advice. I really appreciate it.
I've never seen one before anywhere, and because they are rare I like them more.
I will go get it.

Cheers,

**Nick Komiya** · 07-31-2018, 09:26 AM

In terms of rarity, the tabs with blue and yellow stars together represented only 3% of the entire Gunzoku population, so blue is quite rare.

As shown below, the other colors also are all found without any piping around the tabs, so the piping the regs refer to is most likely the piped outline of the stars, instead of around the tabs, so it appears now that your tab is complete.

Bevo versions of these would have existed, too. Anyway, not a bad find at all.

**Danger** · 07-31-2018, 11:11 AM

Thanks Nick.
I went for it, but so did someone else.
It turned into a bidding war.
I ended up paying $63NZD, so not too much more than the $50NZD.
While I was at it, I got these Ribbon Bars.

Now I need to work out what they represent.

Cheers,

**Nick Komiya** · 07-31-2018, 01:02 PM

Your ribbon bar is upside down. They needed to follow a prescribed order. I'll leave the fun of IDing them to you, but I have written about medals ad nauseam, so my articles will help with the majority of them.