This unofficial
medal was given by the priests of the Yasukuni shrine to the parents of the military men that have fallen in service.
The award has the shape
of a cherry blossom of 2.5 cm. in diameter and is normally struck in silver, but many late WWII are struck in alluminium or less expensive alloys. It is
suspended from a ring to a purple knotted cord. It is normally awarded with an accompaning document, that is quite rare to find.
Yasukuni
shrine is still opened today and has the most interesting museum for those who are interested in Japanese Military History. It has a website that
can be visited at: www.yasukuni.or.jp.
Image of the observe of this medal has been
contributed by Yuri Yashnev.
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