Item #67866 : Original period manufacture. Instituted in 1944 to honor those men who served in the Pacific Theater during WWII, around 10,000 examples being produced by the Osaka Mint. After the Japanese surrender in 1945, the remaining inventory, minus a few prior posthumous awards, were destroyed under orders of the Allied Occupying Forces. In the 1950's Japanese veteran and patriotic groups had the medal re-struck for presentation to surviving veterans. This ispostwar restrike. It is very well made and resides in its black plastic issue case with blue velvet lining.