Orders, Medals & Decorations of Great Japan. Japanese woodblock print triptych with three sheets. When placed side by side, the sheets form a poster-size contiguous image.

This has to do with the victory in war against China in 1895, after which many orders were given to politicians and military officers. The medals for merit in battle and the great expansion of Rising Sun and Sacred Treasure awards begins at this time. Golden Kites especially. The publisher probably saw the need to educate the public with regards to this inflationary awarding of honors.

Scholar Sven Saaler commented, “I have seen quite a few triptychs and lithographs relating to Japan‘s wars 1894/95 and 1904/05 but never such an ‘encyclopedic’ one, so it’s rather unusual. It probably has to do with the victory in war against China in 1895, after which many orders were given to politicians and military officers. The publisher probably saw the need to educate the public with regards to this inflationary awarding of honors…”

Scholar Sugihiko Uchida commented, “Apparently a work of Nakazawa Toshiaki（中澤年章, an ukiyo-e artist (1864-1921).”