Introduce the attire of the Imperial Japanese Army, which encompasses not only uniforms such as military clothing but also personal equipment such as canteens, mess kits, backpacks, and footwear.
The Type 5 Canteen was used by non-commissioned officers and soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army. Contemporary primary sources refer to it as the "New Model Canteen." While the older tokkuri-shaped canteen had a capacity of 0.6 liters, the Type 5 Canteen was designed to hold 1 liter. It is said that variations in the stopper and strap cord were distinguished using terms such as Kō (甲), Otsu (乙), and Hei (丙), or alternatively, I-gō (伊号), Ro-gō (呂号), and Ha-gō (波号). However, I have not been able to locate any original historical sources that explicitly describe these classifications. The minor…
The Type 95 sword was a regulation-issue military sword used by non-commissioned officers and soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army who were required to wear swords, such as cavalry and military police. Although I don’t own an original Type 95 sword, I do have a replica made by PK Militaria. Even as a replica, it is quite expensive. After wearing it during outdoor games, the scabbard ended up covered in scratches. I had always thought it would be nice if there were a cover for the scabbard. While researching primary sources, I discovered that scabbard covers actually existed. In the…
I added authentic woven star insignia to both the authentic Type 98 sun hat and the HIKISHOP replica that I introduced in my recent article. While I was at it, I also made some detailing enhancements to the HIKISHOP replica Processing the Woven Star Insignia Here is the authentic woven star insignia that I used. In my case, I happened to find it listed with an incorrect title on Yahoo Auctions, allowing me to acquire it at a low price. If you try to buy it online, each star generally costs around 3,000 to 4,000 yen. I fold this star…
This time, I would like to introduce the changes in rank insignias and identification Insignias worn on the Type 98 military uniform established in Showa 13. When aiming to accurately reproduce past military attire, the specific year and month is an important factor. It is crucial to understand when the new regulations were implemented if one is to wear military attire according to the revised standards; otherwise, it may result in a uniform that does not actually exist. However, in the case of wearing military attire based on older regulations, it is acceptable even if it is after the new…
In this article, I’d like to introduce some detail-up techniques for military gear that even beginners can try. While it may require a bit of sewing skill, you can easily make these using materials you have on hand, so give it a shot! Collar Cloth A “collar cloth” (Eri-fu/襟布) refers to the fabric sewn onto the collar of a military uniform to prevent it from getting dirty. It’s the same concept as the collar protectors found on modern Japanese student uniforms. Military uniforms cannot be frequently laundered, so the collar cloth is removable for washing purposes. It is part of…
This time, I'm comparing the late model of the Type 98 Sun Hat with the HIKISHOP replica. The authentic Type 98 Sun Hats occasionally appear on Yahoo Auctions, usually trading for around 30,000 to 50,000 yen. The Type 98 Sun Hat has early and late models. The version established in 1930 (Showa 5)1 featured a metal star insignia and had ventilation holes at the top and on both sides. The one I'm introducing this time is the Sun Hat revised in 1941 (Showa 16)2, where the metal star insignia was replaced with a woven yellow star, and the ventilation holes…
I have obtained an authentic Red Cross Patch that medics and military nurses wore on their left arm. The easiest replica of the Red Cross Patch to obtain is the one from HIKISHOP. In this article, I would like to summarize the evolution of the Red Cross Patch and provide a comparison between an authentic Red Cross Patch and the HIKISHOP replica. The Evolution of the Red Cross Armband Meiji 41 (1908) Established Red Cross Patch According to historical documents from the Japan Center for Asian Historical Records, the details of the Red Cross Patch were officially standardized in 1908…
