Item number: M505

Year: AD 1940

Material: Silver (.1000)

Size: 78.0 x 30.2 x 2.3 mm

Weight: 14.9 g

Provenance: Quan Jian Zhai 2026

This item is a National Shrine Foundation Commemorative Medal issued by the puppet regime of Manchukuo.

The medal is circular in shape and crafted from silver. The obverse features a front elevation view of the National Foundation Sacred Shrine. On the reverse, the Chinese characters for “National Foundation Sacred Shrine Foundation Commemorative Medal” (建國神廟創建紀念章) are vertically inscribed in clerical script in the centre, flanked by the reign year “Seventh Year of Kangde” (康德七年) and the date “15th July” (七月十五日). The fields of both the obverse and reverse are smooth, encircled by a raised rim. The edge is plain and uninscribed.

Worn on the left breast attached to a chest ribbon, the medal was awarded to individuals who attended the rites and ceremonies celebrating the foundation of the shrine, personnel tasked with affairs regarding the foundation and essential duties accompanying it, and individuals designated by the Prime Minister of the State Council; according to recipient registers, Japanese military personnel comprised the largest proportion among foreign awardees.

Manchukuo was a puppet state established by Japan following its orchestration of the Mukden Incident in AD 1931 to occupy Northeast China. To execute its colonial rule and expansionist ambitions, Japan installed the abdicated Qing Emperor Puyi as “Chief Executive” in AD 1932 (later retitled “Emperor” in AD 1934) and designated Hsinking (present-day Changchun) as the capital, which led to the regime being commonly termed “Puppet Manchukuo”. During its fourteen-year existence, real power was entirely exercised by the Japanese Kwantung Army, and the territory was exploited as a strategic resource base for Japan’s full-scale invasion of China and participation in the Second World War, until August AD 1945 following Japan’s defeat and surrender, coincided by the offensive of the Soviet Red Army in Northeast China, whereupon Puyi declared his abdication and Manchukuo collapsed completely.

During the early period of the state’s establishment, the Kwantung Army and the puppet Manchukuo regime utilised political discourse such as “Kingly Way Land of Happiness” (Wangdao Leshi) and “Harmony of the Five Races” (Wuzu Xiehe), attempting to mould emerging religious societies promoting the “Unification of the Five Religions” or charitable relief—such as the Red Swastika Society and the Universal Morality Society—as well as folk secret societies like the Green Gang, into “edification societies” (jiaohua tuanti) tasked with assisting the regime in grass-roots social mobilisation and spiritual pacification. However, as the regime gradually consolidated its authority, coupled with the exigencies of war and the implementation of Imperialisation policies (Kōminka), the colonial authorities grew wary of these groups—which possessed transnational connections, secretive natures, or paramilitary traits (such as the Red Spear Society and the Big Sword Society)—escaping state control. Consequently, through the promulgation of regulations such as the Public Peace Police Law and the Provisional Rules for the Control of Temples and Propagation, they introduced a licensing system and missionary registration, labelling all non-officially recognised folk beliefs indiscriminately as “quasi-religions” or “heretical sects” to suppress them. Around AD 1940, with the issuance of the Edict on the Establishment of the National Foundation (Guoben Dianding Zhaoshu) and the founding of the National Foundation Sacred Shrine within the imperial palace, Manchukuo’s religious policy pivoted completely to centre upon Japanese State Shinto (the veneration of Amaterasu Ōmikami) as its supreme core, compelling all religious organisations to submit to the direction of the official Concordia Association (Kyōwakai), thereby fully integrating charitable and proselytising activities into the orbit of supporting the Greater East Asia War and colonial spiritual control.

物件編號: M505

年代: 公元 1940 年

材質: 銀 (.1000)

尺寸: 78.0 x 30.2 x 2.3 mm

重量: 14.9 g

來源: 泉鑒齋 2026

這是一枚偽滿州國政權所發行的建國神廟創建紀念章。

章體為圓形，銀質。正面為建國神廟的正視圖。背面中央豎列隸體漢字「建國神廟創建紀念章」，兩側則為「康德七年 / 七月十五日」紀事及紀日。正背面底章光平，章緣有環。邊緣則光平無文。

紀念章以襟綬配於左胸，授予參列建國神廟創建之祭典及儀式者、關於建國神廟創建事務及伴隨創建之要務人員，以及國務總理大臣所指定之人員，從名單來看，外國人員以日本軍方人員人數居首。

滿洲國係日本於公元1931年策劃「九一八事變」佔領中國東北後，為遂行殖民統治與擴張企圖，於公元1932年擁立清朝遜帝溥儀為「執政」（後於公元1934年改稱皇帝）定都新京（今長春），所建立的傀儡政權，也因此習稱「偽滿州國」；在其十四年的存續期間，政權實權完全由日本關東軍掌控，並被作為日本發動全面侵華與二次大戰的戰略物資基地，直至公元1945年8月日本戰敗投降及蘇聯紅軍進攻東北，溥儀宣佈退位，滿洲國遂隨之徹底覆滅。

在建國初期，關東軍與偽滿洲國政權利用「王道樂士」與「五族協和」等政治言説，試圖將世界紅卍字會、萬國道德會等提倡「五教合一」或慈善救濟的新興宗教結社，以及青幫等民間幫會團體，塑造為協助政權進行基層社會動員與精神宣撫的「教化團體」。然而，隨著政權逐漸鞏固，加以戰爭的需要與皇民化政策的推行，殖民當局開始防範這些具有跨國連結、秘密性或民間武裝色彩（如紅槍會、大刀會）的團體脫離國家掌控，遂透過頒布《治安警察法》、《暫行寺廟及布教者取締規則》等法規，引進許可制與布教者身分登記，將非官方認可的民間信仰一律標籤為「類似宗教」或「邪教」加以壓制。到了公元1940年代前後，隨著《國本奠定詔書》的頒布與帝宮內「建國神廟」的創設，滿洲國的宗教政策徹底轉向以日本國家神道（天照大神奉祀）為至高核心，並強導各宗教團體服從官制「協和會」的指導，將慈善與傳教活動完全納入支援大東亞戰爭與殖民精神統制的軌道之中。