Imperial Order of Meiji

The Imperial Order of Meiji was a Japanese Order (decoration), established by Emperor Meiji of Japan (1852-1912). In appearance, the gilt insignia is somewhat similar to the badge for the Order of the Rising Sun, featuring a central emblem of a red enameled sun disc surrounded by gold rays, but the diameter of the badge of the Order of Meiji is noticeably larger.Honor awarded 1929 -- [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50811FC3A54167A93CAAB178DD85F4D8285F9&scp=1&sq=Order+of+Meiji&st=p "Japanese Emperor Honors H.W. Taft; Consul-General Gives Insignia for Fostering International Friendship. Diploma Also Presented; Brother of Chief Justice Receives Order of Rising Sun at Exercises Here,"] "New York Times," June 28, 1929.]

Classes

The Order can be awarded in any of number of classes. Conventionally, a diploma is prepared to accompany the insignia of the order, and in some rare instances, the personal signature of the emperor will have been added. As an illustration of the wording of the text, a translation of a representative 1929 diploma proclaims:

:: "By the grace of Heaven, Emperor of Japan, seated on the throne occupied by the same dynasty from time immemorial,

:: "We confer the "Second Class of the Imperial Order of Meiji" upon Henry Waters Taft, a citizen of the United States of America and a director of the Japan Society of New York, and invest him with the insignia of the same class of the "Order of the Double Rays of the Rising Sun," in expression of the good will which we entertain towards him.

:: "In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hand and caused the Grand Seal of the Empire to be affixed at the Imperial Palace, Tokio, this thirteenth day of the fifth month of the fourth year of Shōwa, corresponding to the 2,589th year from the accession to the throne of Emperor Jimmu." [see above] ]

elected recipients

First Class

econd Class

* Henry W. Taft (1859-1945). [see above] ]

Unknown Class

* Winfield Scott Chaplin (1847-1918). [Honor awarded 1882 -- [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9B06EFDD1339E033A25753C3A96E9C94609ED7CF "Prof. Chaplin's New Post; He will be Chancellor of the Washington University"] , "New York Times," August 30, 1891.]
* Robert Lawrence Eichelberger (1886-1961). [Honor awarded 1919 -- [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,776066,00.html "Uncle Bob"] , "Time Magazine." September 10, 1945.]
* J.R. Wasson (1855-1913). [Honor awarded 1874 -- [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9902E2DB1730E033A25751C2A96E9C94659ED7CF "A Victory for the Chinese; Japanese Driven with Heavy Loss from Ping-yang"] , New York Times," August 22, 1894.]

References

* Rossiter, Johnson, ed. (1904). "The Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans", Vol. II. Boston: The Biographical Society. [http://books.google.com/books?id=MlEDAAAAYAAJ&dq=imperial+order+of+meiji ...Click link for digitized, full text copy of this book]

External links

* [http://www8.cao.go.jp/english/decoration/zuiho.html Decoration Bureau website] -- Order of Meiji unmentioned in current schema of honors
* Japan Mint: [http://www.mint.go.jp/eng/operations/order/medalsofhonor.html Production Process]