Japanese Wooden Box?

[all-bull]

Hey guys,
I picked this up this weekend at an auction. I don't know a whole lot about Japanese things, but it sure looks like a Mum on the top. It was advertised as a "ballot box" I guess because of the hole in the top, but it looks more like a document box to me from the inside.

Can anyone tell me if this is Japanese? Could it be military? I think it is probably older than WWII, and appears to be quality.

Any help would be really great!

[all-bull]

2

[all-bull]

inside

[Jareth]

Fairly certain it's not military

[S. McKibben]

Looks like a wagon wheel and not a mum.

[Paul G]

I don't think its WW2 Japanese.The WW2 imperial mum has 16 petals, this has 14. Also, I don't think it would considered "acceptable" to have the mum displayed in pieces, as on the corners of the box. It would probably be considered disrespectable to have the imperial mum broken up like that??? Thats just a guess??

PG-