Japan Shakes the World: The Russo-Japanese War Medal.

In 1904, the world was stunned when a rising Asian power launched a daring surprise attack on one of Europe’s great empires. The Russo-Japanese War — fought from February 1904, to September 1905 — pitted the rising Imperial Japan against Tsarist Russia in a struggle for dominance in East Asia. What began with a nighttime assault on the Russian fleet at Port Arthur soon escalated into massive land battles at Mukden and the legendary naval clash at Tsushima.

By the war’s end, Japan emerged victorious — the first time in modern history that an Asian nation had defeated a major Western power. The victory sent shockwaves across the globe, inspired independence movements, and announced Japan’s arrival as a formidable empire.

In recognition of the soldiers and sailors who fought in this conflict, the Japanese government created the 1904–1905 Military Service Medal. Promulgated in 1906, the medal embodies both Japanese tradition and Western influences. Its design features the crossed banners of the Japanese army regimental standard and the Imperial Japanese Naval ensign, the Imperial chrysanthemum, and the paulownia crest — symbols of power, prestige, and royalty. On the reverse, a laurel branch and the so-called “victory grass” form a wreath around a samurai shield with the inscription “Meiji 37–8 Years War,” marking the years of the conflict.

Suspended from a striking ribbon of teal and dark blue silk, the medal is as much a piece of art as it is a relic of empire. Today, it is one of the most common Japanese war medals found by collectors — but its story connects directly to a conflict that reshaped the 20th century.

This is just one of the many medals and stories I explore in my upcoming book, where each piece reveals a deeper tale of war, empire, and legacy.