Imperial Japanese WWII Women's Patriotic Association First Class Merit Badge BOX

  

Offered is a rare WWII period WPA (Women's Patriotic Association) badge. This is third highest honor of the Association, and it was awarded for recruiting more than 300 new members.

The Patriotic Women's Association Aikoku Fujinkai. Is the oldest of the Japanese women's associations, having been founded on March 2, 1901 by Okumara Ioko. It was under the supervision of Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Health and Welfare. By 1940, it had 6,500,000 members in Japan and overseas. Prior to the outbreak of the Second World War, there were association branches in Canada, the United States and Brazil, as well as in the various territories occupied by the Japanese armed forces.

In February 1942, it merged with the Greater Japanese Women's Association for Protection of the Country and the Greater Japan Federation of Women's Associations into a new association which was called the Greater Japanese Women's Association. The Patriotic Women's Association First Class Merit Badge Aikoku Fujinkai ichito yukosho. The Patriotic Women's Association Merit Badge Aikoku Fujinkai yukosho.

Date: late 1930s to 1940 late in the war these were issued in unlacquered paulownia boxes. Condition: Badge: oxidized and tarnished; minor imperfections in enamel from production. Box: minor abrasions, minor warping to the bottom of box. There is a color difference in lacquer- bottom is more brown, top black. This was common in late 1930s to early 1940s.

Ackley: In the Name of a Living God: The non-government badges and medals of Imperial Japan, including Police, Fire Brigade, Fred Cross, Veteran and Patriotic Groups, Portland: Ackley Unlimited, 2005., p.