Badge with the Kikusui ("Floating Chrysanthemum") Symbol

Interesting badge.

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Kikusui mon

Kikusui - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

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Marks.

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生駒製 - made by Ikoma

Badges, Marks and History of Ikoma Workshop/生駒時計店

Marks. Labels. Insert. The history of this Osaka workshop begins in 1870 when Gonshichi Ikoma/権七生駒/ opened his workshop specializing in watches and jewelry. Original building. Even original sign has survived to this day. Between two pretty well fed we observe kanji...
asiamedals.info asiamedals.info

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純銀 - pure silver.

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Badge engraved by the owner.

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源二郎 - Genjirou

松浦 - Matsuura
 
"Kikusui = Kamikaze pilot badge". Seriously?!

Yes, believe it or not this is another popular naïve attribution of this badge.

Indeed, when somebody hears Kikusui that spring immediately to mind Operation Kikusui (菊水作戦, Kikusui sakusen) - a series of suicidal air attacks by Imperial Japanese forces during the Battle of Okinawa against Allied fleets. However, even for person with vivid imagination it will be difficult to explain how and why these badges were made in such a large numbers (they definitely couldn't be labeled as "rare") at the very end of the war (we are talking about approximate 6 April, 1945 to 22 June, 22. 1945) and in pure silver.

Naturally the sellers (certainly not confused by above considerations) of these badges actively use this naïve association.

Typical example.

This is an authentic and very rare campaign badge, the Kikusui strategy was the name of the last big campaign effort to fight the allied forces (mostly American) from taking Okinawa which turned out to be a very bloody battle. The Kikusui name and symbol used for this last effort campaign came from the family crest (mon) of Masashige Kusunoki's who was famous 14th Century Samurai and great battle tactician. This will make an outstanding addition to any Vintage WWII or antique medal and badge collection.

Another popular "kamikaze trail" - submarines involved in kaiten operations.​

Submarine cabin of I-47.

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On 8 November 1944, the Kikusui-tai Kaiten Group - made up of I-47 and the submarines I-36 and I-37 - got underway from Otsujima to conduct the first kaiten operation.

But all these kamikaze speculations are fruitless since Kikusui emblem wasn`t used only by kamikaze units.

For example Kikusui emblem was used by 22nd Sentai.

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But even more often this crest was used (and not only by military) as a symbol of devotion and self-sacrifice.
Factory girl with pseudo "Kamikaze pilot" headband with inscription "神風 - Kamikaze + Kikusui crest".

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With all that being said, this does not in any way mean that Kikusui emblem was used exclusively by military/civilian units during WW2.
The most active "users" of Kikusui mon always were (and still are) different Japanese religious organizations (the most probable issuer of these silver badges), patriotic societies and martial arts associations.

Minatogawa Shrine https://asiamedals.info/threads/badges-of-minatogawa-shrine.28082/

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Kusunoki Masashige 600th Anniversary Festival https://asiamedals.info/threads/bad...hi-medal-works-tokyo-asahi.21789/#post-345489

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Youth League https://asiamedals.info/threads/dari-youth-league-member-p-badge.28168/


Dari Youth League Member's Badge 達里青年団員章.jpg



Martial arts tournament of 1939.

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Another Buddhist badge.

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金剛山 - Mount Kongo
顯彰會 - Shonsho - kai

Marked 純銀 - pure silver.

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Etc, etc, etc.
 
Very close (by design) badge.

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Obverse

六ツ美会 - Mutsumi- kai (Religious Corporation)
 
Post-war school badge.

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樟 = 樟蔭学園 - Shoin Gakuen Fukushima High School

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    badge with floating chrysanthemum symbol badge with the kikusui symbol floating chrysanthemum badge kamikaze badge kamikaze bogus kikusui badge pseudo kamikaze badge 菊水部隊 陸軍菊水部隊
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