Dai Nippon Kokubō Fujin-Kai badge and sash

[bestmsdt]

At one of the few shows held this year I obtained a badge for the Dai Nippon Kokubō Fujin-Kai (Greater Japan Women's National Defence Association). I have a sash that I got at the beginning of the year. However the badge does not have the old kanji that one would expect, 國 會, but uses the modern kanji, 大日本国防婦人会.
Did the Dai Nippon Kokubō Fujin-Kai exist after WW2? I have read that the women's associations merged in 1942 to form the Greater Japan Women's Association, Dai Nippon Fujin-Kai.
The back of the sash has 四九式. In this case would the last character, shiki, have the meaning of chapter (so chapter 49)?
Cheers,
Tony

[Nick Komiya]

No, "Chapter" was 分会 which would have come in the lower part of the sash front preceded by the name of the township. The only context that makes sense for 四九式 is to understand it as for some ceremony held on April 9th.

[bestmsdt]

Thanks Nick. As there is nothing further on this sash apart from what is in the pictures maybe it was given to attendees at the April ceremony.

Re the badge, were simplified kanji sometimes used prior to 1945?

Cheers,
Tony

[Nick Komiya]

The 会 seen on the badge was a shorthand 略字 version of 會 for use in stamps, signage, etc, where crammed-looking kanji became a stress for the eyes. That pre-war shorthand version just happened to become the postwar official version. Even postwar kanji has shorthand variants like 才 for 歳 or 令 for 齢, etc.

[bestmsdt]

Thanks for that Nick, the learning goes on! I thought that the badge had to be of the correct period judging by its quality, so good to understand the whole picture.
Cheers,
Tony