Japanese Imperial Rule Assistance Association “Fascist” Party Young Adult Corps Badge

Screw-back badge made in painted aluminum. For the Young Adult’s (Men’s) Corps of the Imperial Rule Assistance Association. Approx. 20mm across.

Imperial Rule Assistance Association (Taisei Yokusankai) of Japan was the ruling Japanese political party during World War II. It was a national unity coalition political party in Japan founded in 1940 and dissolved in 1945.

It was inspired by European fascist movements and sought to establish a single-party system in Japan that was achieved in 1942. Emulating fascist movements the party had its own militia, the Yokusan Sonendan. However it was different from fascist movements in that it not only merged fascist and other radical right-wing nationalist movements into it, but also significant monarchist, conservative, liberal, and social democratic parties were merged as well. Its purpose was not focused on ideology but on national unity through discussion and negotiation within one party to create policies rather than be divided into factions competing with each other. The party also appears similar to national unity governments founded in Europe in World War I and afterwards where different parties were united into a coalition.