This is an original 1937 edition of “Heiki” (Weapons) – a comprehensive Imperial Japanese Army, Navy, and Air Force reference manual issued during the early stage of the Second Sino-Japanese War. Authored by Seizo Ota, printed and published by Seikodo Shinko-sha in Tokyo, this book served as a classified educational text for military academies and technical officers across Japan’s armed forces. It was designed as a portable field manual, allowing officers and engineers to reference weapon schematics and mechanisms even during deployment or training. Rather than a theoretical study, it was a practical handbook for survival and efficiency on the battlefield – an authentic insight into how soldiers and engineers learned to operate, maintain, and understand their weapons. The content covers a vast range of systems. Infantry small arms and pistols (Type 38 rifle, Mauser, Parabellum, Colt M1911). Artillery and fortification guns. Naval ordnance, torpedoes, and anti-aircraft systems. Aerial bombs, aircraft armaments, and communication devices. Chemical and defensive equipment including gas masks and flame throwers. Comparative diagrams of foreign weapons from Germany, Britain, and the U. Each page is densely illustrated with detailed cross-sections and mechanical diagrams, making it not only an invaluable military study but also an essential source of inspiration for historical modelers, filmmakers, and animation designers seeking authenticity in prewar weapon design. Published just before World War II, Heiki stands as a rare surviving record of Japan’s interwar military technology – a document once held by those who built and operated the empire’s arsenal. Own a piece of history – this manual is a genuine artifact of the knowledge that shaped the Imperial Japanese armed forces. International Buyers – Please Note. Thank you for your understanding.
Official textbook of the Imperial Japanese Army Motor Vehicle School, used to train mechanics and drivers to keep army vehicles ready for combat. Covers the four-stroke engine cycle, ignition, fuel mixture, lubrication, cooling, inspection, storage, and troubleshooting. Many pages bear red pencil underlines from soldiers in training-adding authentic, lived history. Published in March 1935, just before the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War, when the army was rapidly expanding its mechanization program. Compiled and distributed at the Imperial Japanese Army Motor Vehicle School, later circulated across units as the standard reference. As logistics shifted from horses to motor vehicles, maintaining trucks and cars became critical. Step-by-step diagrams and explanations show. Four-stroke function and why mixture/timing matter. Starting, warming up, and stopping procedures. Lubrication, cooling, and fuel system checks. Long-term storage and rust prevention. Early troubleshooting from symptoms like noise, heat, or exhaust color. 1935 (Showa 10) revised edition. Marked in red pencil (student notes). Age-related wear: foxing, fading, corner folds, binding stress (see photos). ? A rare, first-hand artifact of Japan’s military mechanization. Own a Piece of History. Approximate 7-21days(To USA).
This is an original 1929 Imperial Japanese Navy engineering training textbook, titled Marine Engineering Textbook – Practical Mathematics, issued by the Imperial Japanese Navy Engineering School. The Navy Engineering School specialized in training the technical personnel who kept Japanese warships operating. Battleships and cruisers could not move on naval power alone-they depended on engineers and engine-room personnel capable of understanding and maintaining complex machinery. This textbook taught the practical mathematics required for naval engineering work. It begins with arithmetic, fractions, decimals, ratios, percentages, areas, and volumes, then applies these skills to technical problems involving subjects such as steam pressure, cylinders, pistons, horsepower, fuel, coal, displacement, speed, and cruising distance. In other words, this was not simply a school mathematics book. It shows how the Imperial Japanese Navy trained the men responsible for operating the machinery inside its warships. The cover is dated April 1, 1929 (Showa 4) and identifies the Imperial Japanese Navy Engineering School and its engineering training courses. The historical timing is particularly interesting. The Navy Engineering School was established as an independent institution in 1928 after being separated from the Naval Engineering College. This textbook therefore dates from one of the earliest years of the newly independent school. Why is it rare? Unlike commercially published books, this was a specialized internal training textbook intended for a limited group of Imperial Japanese Navy engineering trainees. Such technical educational materials were working documents rather than souvenirs intended to survive for generations. The Imperial Japanese Navy suffered catastrophic losses during WWII and was completely dissolved in 1945. Over the following decades, many of its internal textbooks, manuals, and training materials were discarded or dispersed. Nearly a century later, surviving examples provide an unusual window into a side of naval history that is often overlooked. This is not a book about famous admirals or naval battles. It is something more personal: the knowledge that ordinary technical personnel had to master before they could enter an engine room and help keep a Japanese warship moving. A fascinating piece for collectors of Imperial Japanese Navy militaria, naval engineering, military education, and original prewar technical documents. Own a Piece of History. International Buyers – Please Note.
This is Pictorial Report of the China Incident, No. 7 (1937) – an exceptional, large-format wartime photo journal documenting the early stages of the Shanghai and North China campaigns. Featured inside are powerful original photographs of. The Battle of Hongkou – brutal street-to-street fighting. Creek operations and river-crossing assaults. Imperial Japanese Navy actions around Shanghai. Rapid cavalry and motorized advances across the North China plain. Front-line trenches, supply routes, and ammunition transport missions. A detailed military map of the North China theater. These pictorial magazines were produced only in limited wartime runs, and surviving copies with intact photos & maps are now extremely scarce. The visual intensity-soldiers fighting in rubble, advancing through waterlogged fields, naval aviation over Shanghai-captures the atmosphere of 1937 better than any modern history book. For researchers, collectors, and museums, this is a valuable primary source that preserves the imagery of the Second Sino-Japanese War in real time. Own a piece of history-an authentic wartime record that has survived for nearly nine decades. International Buyers – Please Note. Thank you for your understanding.
Own a Piece of History. This is an original. 1928 illustrated scroll “Showa Gotaitei Emaki”. To commemorate the enthronement ceremonies of. Emperor Hirohito (Showa Emperor). The scroll measures an impressive. 418 cm 164 in. In total length, and features beautifully printed illustrations by leading Japanese artists of the time, including. Poems are contributed by. Emperor Hirohito (Showa Emperor) reigned from. Overseeing the most dramatic and turbulent era in modern Japanese history. During the 1930s-1945 period, he stood as. The head of state of Imperial Japan. The supreme authority within the military structure. Making him a central figure in Japanese politics and wartime decision-making. This scroll records the. Created at a time when Japan was not yet at total war-capturing the nation before it entered the most consequential years of the 20th century. Because of the emperor’s role in both domestic governance and the military system, any original prewar material related to Hirohito is highly valued among collectors of. Royal and court ceremonial culture. Showa Gotaitei Emaki (Showa Enthronement Illustrated Scroll). Matsuoka Eikyu / Yamaguchi Hoshun / Yoshimura Tadao / Yamada Shuei. One wooden roller end is missing. Age-related toning, creases, light stains. Some fold lines from storage. No major tears; fully viewable. Please check all photos carefully. Authentic prewar Imperial Japan artifact. With significant historical value. Approximate 7-21days(To USA).
WW2 Imperial Japanese Navy Warship Photo Book 1927 Battleship Cruiser Destroyer. Original Warship Photo Album published by the Kaigun Kyokai (Navy Association) in 1927 (Showa 2). This book was compiled by the Kaigun Kyokai (Navy Association), one of the most influential naval organizations in prewar Japan. Although published before World War II, it serves as an official visual and technical reference documenting the Imperial Japanese Navy during the interwar period, shortly after the Washington Naval Treaty. Rather than being simply a photo book, this volume functions much like a naval yearbook. Published in 1927, this volume captures the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Washington Naval Treaty era, making it an important historical reference that documents Japan’s fleet before its major expansion in the 1930s. An excellent collectible for Imperial Japanese Navy collectors, naval historians, warship enthusiasts, and researchers of early twentieth-century military history. Shows age-related wear, foxing, stains, and light discoloration consistent with its age. The pages remain complete and fully readable. Please examine the photographs carefully for the overall condition. International Buyers – Please Note.
This book, Combat Outline , was an official Imperial Japanese Army training manual, issued in 1929 (Showa 4) by Heiyo Tosho Co. It standardized how infantry units were to march, deploy, attack, defend, retreat, and communicate. The manual uses diagrams and concise explanations to unify drills and ensure consistency across regiments. Written in the tense years between WWI and the Manchurian Incident (1931), it reflects Japan’s shift toward large-scale military readiness. Unlike propaganda works, this is a practical handbook meant for soldiers and junior officers, showing exactly what was considered “basic combat knowledge” at the time. Aged wear with stains, tears, and discoloration. Red pencil markings and notes are present, evidence of real field use. A genuine pre-WWII field manual that reveals how the Japanese Army trained its soldiers. A rare chance to study the tactical mindset of the Showa era. Own a Piece of History. Approximate 7-21days(To USA).
This is an original commemorative photo album from the. 1st Company, Imperial Guard Transport Battalion of the Imperial Japanese Army. Its cloth-covered front bears the Imperial Guard insignia and the unit name. The album contains a portrait of. Along with photographs of officers and enlisted soldiers, military swords, rifles, medical personnel wearing Red Cross armbands, horses, and scenes associated with military transport and unit life. What Was the Imperial Guard Transport Battalion? The Japanese Army’s transport troops were responsible for moving the supplies that kept an army functioning, including food, ammunition, equipment, medicine, and other essential materials. In modern terms, they were a military. Logistics and supply unit. The Imperial Guard transport troops performed the same basic role as ordinary Army transport units. The important difference was that they belonged to the. The prestigious formation associated with the protection of the Emperor and the Imperial Palace. In other words, these men supported one of the Japanese Army’s most distinguished formations from behind the scenes. An army could not continue operating simply with soldiers and weapons. Without transport troops delivering food, ammunition, and medical supplies, even an elite unit would quickly become ineffective. A portrait of Emperor Taisho is preserved near the beginning of the album. This suggests that the album may date from the. Taisho era or the early Showa period. Approximately the 1910s to early 1930s. However, imperial portraits could remain in use after an emperor’s death, so the exact date cannot be confirmed from the portrait alone. The album therefore appears to document the Imperial Guard during Japan’s pre-WWII military period, rather than the final years of the Pacific War. A Record of the Men Behind the Imperial Guard. The Imperial Guard is often remembered through ceremonial uniforms, palace duty, and elite status. This album shows a less visible side of that history: the soldiers who transported supplies, handled horses, supported medical work, and kept the unit moving. Most of these men left no names in history books. Here, they survive as the members of one company, photographed together during their military service in Tokyo. This is an original antique military photo album. The cover, mounting pages, and photographs show age-related toning, foxing, stains, rubbing, discoloration, and wear to the edges and corners. The exact dates, locations, and identities of all individuals have not been confirmed. Please examine all photographs carefully for the precise contents and condition. This album preserves not only the prestige of the Imperial Guard, but also the overlooked logistics troops who made its daily operation possible. Own a Piece of History. Approximate 7-21days(To USA).
This is a 1933 Imperial Japanese Army commemorative vase connected with a hospital for wounded and sick soldiers. The inscription on the body reads: “Hospital Visit for Wounded and Sick Soldiers” “September 1933″ “Army Welfare Department” On the opposite side is the large character “Makoto” , meaning sincerity, devotion, or faithfulness. Beneath it is the inscription “Written by Sadao”. Based on the date and historical context, this inscription is believed to refer to General Sadao Araki, who was serving as Japan’s Minister of War at the time. Araki was one of the most influential Army figures of early Showa Japan and became closely associated with the Imperial Way faction and the Army’s emphasis on spiritual discipline and loyalty. The year 1933 is especially important. Japan had already entered Manchuria following the Manchurian Incident of 1931, and the state of Manchukuo had been established in 1932. In 1933, Japan announced its withdrawal from the League of Nations. This vase therefore comes from a moment when Japan was moving away from international cooperation and toward a more militarized national direction. Yet this object does not represent the battlefield itself. It represents what happened after soldiers came back wounded or sick. The Army Welfare Department was involved in activities intended to support and soldiers, including those undergoing treatment. Based on the inscription, this vase was likely produced for use during a hospital visit or event for wounded and sick servicemen. It may have been presented to a patient, placed in a military hospital ward, or used as part of the ceremony. That is what makes this piece particularly interesting. The large word “Makoto” was not simply decorative. In the Imperial Japanese military, ideas such as loyalty, sincerity, self-sacrifice, and spiritual strength were heavily emphasized. If the calligraphy is indeed connected with Sadao Araki, the message would have carried additional meaning for wounded soldiers undergoing recovery. In other words, this vase represents two sides of the same military system: compassion toward wounded soldiers-and the expectation that they maintain military spirit even while lying in a hospital bed. The surface shows age-related wear, discoloration, oxidation, scratches, and other signs of its approximately 90-year history. Please examine the photographs carefully for condition. A weapon tells us how a war was fought. This small vase tells us something different: what happened to the soldiers who survived long enough to return wounded. A rare and deeply human artifact from Japan in 1933, at a critical point on the road toward the wars that would follow. Own a Piece of History. International Buyers – Please Note.
This is the February 1942 issue of Kaiyo Shonen (“Ocean Youth”), a wartime magazine for Japanese youth. It features a special edition on the Greater East Asia War, published just weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor (Dec 7, 1941) and the Battle of Malaya (Dec 10, 1941). Inside are photographs, articles, and diagrams covering the Japanese Navy’s early war victories and the state of the U. Several pages bear the credit “Provided by the Navy Ministry, ” showing that the content relied on official photographs and reports. Compiled by the editors of Kaiyo Shonen, aimed at young readers in wartime Japan. Much of the visual material came from Imperial Japanese Navy propaganda sources, making this a genuine piece of period reporting and education. Published in February 1942, right after Japan’s surprise victories at Pearl Harbor and Malaya. This magazine was created for wartime reporting and youth indoctrination. Today it serves as a valuable historical primary source, showing how news, images, and narratives were presented to the Japanese public at the beginning of the Pacific War. Richly illustrated with black-and-white photo spreads of warships, aircraft, officers, and battle diagrams. “The Battle of Malaya”. Pacific Fleet Before Annihilation. This issue allows you to see the war as it was reported in Japan at the time. Own a piece of history – ideal for collectors, researchers, museums, or educational use. Approximate 7-21days(To USA).