Idenification of Japanese Badge/Medal

[lonewolf523]

Gentlemen,
Need your help in identifying this badge or maybe a medal. Looked all over for one like it but no luck.
Thanks for your help in advance,
LW

[Nick Komiya]

It's a Japanese war veteran's association badge for the city of Busan Korea. The group was founded in May 1937, it says on the back. Another example and a badge for a councilor member of that association shown below.

[lonewolf523]

Thanks Nick, I have looked all over and could not find out what it was. I see you have the box, very nice! Thanks again.

[lonewolf523]

Nick, It is also very interesting that even with your information there is not anything on the internet about these badges!

[Nick Komiya]

That is because the badge is nothing official, but private. Judging by the date, Japanese men who got drafted to fight in the Manchurian Incident formed this Busan Association/club of former comrades. But that group would have been short-lived, as they were about to get called back to serve again in the China Incident and further into a bigger war.

It was a badge for a private group of people who got nostalgic a bit too soon.
After WW2 these associations popped up by the hundreds to have annual get togethers, which still go on today, but many disbanding due to members getting too old and frail to participate. Such groups typically made their own membership badges equally of a private nature and too numerous to mention.

[ghp95134]

JapanX sends with his compliments:
Comrades in Arms Associations Badges/戦友会章 | Medals of Asia

-- Guy