Onshino Tabako

The production of Onshino Tabako finally ceased at the end of 2006, the last producer being the Japan Tobacco Company.

Empress Shōken, consort of Emperor Meiji, presented wounded soldiers at the 1877 Satsuma Rebellion with Onshino Tabako as gifts, according to formal records.

[3] In 1894, the Iwaya Shokai was given permission to produce the Onshino Tabako which were given out to soldiers participating in the Sino-Japanese War.

The special cigarettes were even mentioned in a war song called "Sorano Yūshi" (Brave Men of the Skies) in 1939 which portrayed the Battles of Khalkhin Gol.

On the packaging of Onshino Tabako was printed a character: 賜, meaning "gift from a noble man,"[6] and the chrysanthemum crest was on every cigarette.

The production of special tobacco for the relatives of Emperor Shōwa was discontinued by the order of the General Headquarters of Japan of the allied forces in 1945.

On June 25, 1959, it was presented to every member of the Tokyo Giants and Osaka Tigers, professional baseball teams which played before Emperor Shōwa.

[10] When they were first produced, the characters "Onshi / 恩賜" were printed in gold on the package, and it was formally called Special Product No.

[14] Besides cigarettes, Sumatra and Havana cigars bearing a decorated ring chrysanthemum crest were produced in a box of 25.