Japan (1868-1945, Empire)

Japanese decorations:
In the early 1930’s Japan came more and more under the influence of ultra-nationalistic, expansionist military. This led to the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, where the Japanese installed the puppet regime of Mantsjoekwo, and to the Second Sino-Japanese War, that finally resulted in the Second World War. The fighting’s between Japan and China started in 1931 with the invasion of Machuria (September 19th 1931) and went on until 1945. Beceause both lands were at war with one another, a period that encloses the Second World War, on this website we describe Japanese decorations awarded or instituted between the Japanese invasion of Manchuria and the surrender of the Japanese Empire in August 1945 and those awarded later with a certain connection to the Second World War.