This is a large prewar Japanese naval color print titled “The Majesty of the Combined Fleet”, issued by the Imperial Japanese Navy Ministry in May 1935. The artwork presents the Combined Fleet as a powerful unified force: large battleships advancing in formation, destroyers cutting across the foreground, and aircraft flying overhead. Rather than portraying a single vessel, the composition was designed to express the scale, strength, and prestige of the Imperial Japanese Navy as a whole. The right margin is printed with: “The Majesty of the Combined Fleet” “May 1935″ “Navy Ministry” Additional printing information in the margin includes references to the printer in Uchisaiwaicho, Kojimachi Ward, Tokyo, and Teikoku Kaigun-sha. The date is especially important. This was published in 1935, six years before the Pacific War began, during a period when Japan still maintained a large and highly visible battle fleet. The image reflects how the Imperial Japanese Navy wished to present the Combined Fleet to the public: battleships at the center, supported by destroyers and naval aviation. At approximately 108 × 78 cm, this is a very large display piece with considerably more visual impact than ordinary wartime prints or postcards. There are age-related stains, discoloration, folds, edge wear, and other signs of use and storage. Please examine the photographs carefully for condition. More than simply a naval illustration, this is a surviving piece of prewar Japanese naval visual culture, showing how the Combined Fleet was represented at the height of its prestige. Own a Piece of History. International Buyers – Please Note.
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 large antique Japanese hanging scroll commemorates an important moment in the life of Crown Prince Hirohito, who would later become Emperor Showa of Japan. At the bottom are portraits of Crown Prince Hirohito and Princess Nagako, the future Emperor Showa and Empress Kojun. Beneath their portraits appears the Japanese inscription: Commemorating the Auspicious Occasion of Their Imperial Highnesses This inscription is an important clue to the historical context of the piece. Crown Prince Hirohito married Princess Nagako on January 26, 1924, during Japan’s Taisho era. Hirohito was still a young Crown Prince, approximately three years before he ascended the throne and became the emperor whose reign would encompass World War II and Japan’s postwar transformation. The scroll presents much more than the young couple. Its imagery includes: Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken Meiji Shrine Nijubashi Bridge at the Imperial Palace Crown Prince Hirohito and Princess Nagako The Imperial chrysanthemum crest and decorative phoenix motifs At the top appears the phrase , approximately meaning The Glory of the Nation. The composition is particularly interesting from a historical perspective. Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken appear above the Meiji Shrine and Imperial Palace imagery, while the young Crown Prince and his bride appear below. It visually connects the Meiji imperial generation with the next generation of Japan’s Imperial Family. Today, Hirohito is inevitably associated with some of the most consequential events of the 20th century: the rise of militarized Japan, the Pacific War, Japan’s defeat in 1945, and the country’s remarkable postwar transformation. But this scroll captures an earlier moment. The war was still far in the future. Hirohito was not yet Emperor. It comes from a Japan celebrating the marriage of its young Crown Prince and his future Empress. That contrast is what makes this piece especially fascinating. Measuring approximately 150 cm (59 in) long and 51 cm (20 in) wide, it is a substantial display piece as well as an artifact of Japanese imperial and social history. The scroll shows significant age-related wear, including creases, wrinkles, discoloration, fading, stains, and other deterioration. Please examine all photographs carefully. These signs of age are consistent with an object that has survived for approximately a century. Dating Note: Based on the portraits and the inscription commemorating an auspicious occasion involving the Crown Prince and Princess, this piece is believed to relate to their 1924 marriage. However, no clearly visible production date or publisher’s mark has been confirmed, so the exact year of manufacture cannot be guaranteed. More than simply an old Japanese decorative scroll, this is a surviving image of Hirohito before he became Emperor – at the beginning of a life that would become inseparable from modern Japanese history. Own a Piece of History. International Buyers – Please Note.
This is an original 1930 Japanese photo and geography book titled “A Grand View of Manchuria”, published to commemorate the Manchuria-Mongolia Exposition held in Tokyo. The book clearly identifies: “Sponsored by the South Manchuria Railway Company” “Venue: Matsuzakaya, Ueno, Tokyo” “Commemorating the Manchuria-Mongolia Exposition” The exposition was held from May 10 to May 19, 1930, and was designed to introduce Manchuria to the Japanese public through displays of its cities, industries, transportation, resources, and regional development. The key institution behind this publication was the South Manchuria Railway Company, commonly known as Mantetsu. Despite its name, Mantetsu was far more than a railway company. It operated railways, mines, ports, hotels, urban development projects, industrial facilities, and extensive research organizations. It functioned as a powerful semi-governmental enterprise closely tied to Japan’s expansion on the Asian continent and to the political and military system surrounding Manchuria. Because of its extraordinary economic and political reach, Mantetsu has often been compared to a Japanese version of the East India Company. This book therefore offers more than a simple travel view of Manchuria. Inside are extensive photographs and articles covering places such as Dairen, Port Arthur, Mukden, Changchun, Harbin, Fushun, and the regions along the South Manchuria Railway network. Railways, ports, industry, cities, landscapes, and local people are all presented through the perspective of prewar Japan. The volume also includes a color map of Manchuria, providing a valuable visual record of how the region was geographically understood and presented in Japan at the time. The date 1930 is especially important. The Mukden Incident would begin the following year in 1931, and the state of Manchukuo would be established in 1932. This means the book was produced before Manchukuo existed, only one year before the political and military situation in Manchuria changed dramatically. It is not a military manual, but it preserves the world that existed immediately before the Manchurian Incident: the South Manchuria Railway, Japan’s growing continental ambitions, and the public image of Manchuria presented to people in Tokyo. In that sense, it offers a rare look at the civilian, economic, and propagandistic side of the history that soon became a military crisis. Nearly a century ago, visitors in Tokyo opened this book and looked toward Manchuria as a land of railways, industry, resources, and opportunity. One year later, that same region became the center of an international conflict. Own a Piece of History. International Buyers – Please Note.
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.
This is an original pre-WWII long-service award badge issued by Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co. Kobe Shipyard to recognize a long-serving employee or worker. The reverse is clearly inscribed in Japanese: Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co. ” “Long Service Award” “Kobe Shipyard Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co. Was established in 1917 when Mitsubishi’s shipbuilding operations became an independent company. In 1934, the company was reorganized and renamed Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The front prominently features Mitsubishi’s famous three-diamond emblem, surrounded by industrial imagery including a gear-like design and decorative foliage. This is not a military decoration or an Imperial Japanese Navy badge. It was an internal company award recognizing long service at the Kobe Shipyard. However, its historical background is closely connected with the extraordinary growth of Japanese heavy industry and shipbuilding during the decades before World War II. Mitsubishi became one of Japan’s most important shipbuilding enterprises, producing both commercial vessels and warships. The wider Mitsubishi shipbuilding organization was responsible for famous Imperial Japanese Navy vessels including the battlecruiser Kirishima, later reconstructed as a battleship. Kirishima was built at Mitsubishi’s Nagasaki Shipyard, not Kobe Shipyard, and is mentioned here only to illustrate the historical importance of Mitsubishi’s shipbuilding operations. There is no claim that this particular badge has a direct connection to Kirishima. What makes this piece particularly interesting is the human story behind it. This small badge survives as evidence that one such person spent many years working at Mitsubishi’s Kobe Shipyard and was formally recognized for that service. The obsolete Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co. Company name engraved directly into the badge also makes it an interesting artifact of Japanese corporate and industrial history. There is age-related wear, discoloration, scratches, and patina. The pin mechanism on the reverse is damaged and partially missing. Please examine the photographs carefully for the exact condition. An interesting collectible for those interested in pre-WWII Japan, Mitsubishi history, shipbuilding, naval history, industrial history, and early Japanese corporate memorabilia. A small personal artifact from the people behind Japan’s rise as a major shipbuilding nation. Own a Piece of History. International Buyers – Please Note.
This is an original commemorative photo album produced in 1934 for sailors who completed their initial training at the Yokosuka Naval Barracks of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The title page reads: “Entered Service: January 1934″ “Commemorative Album for the Completion of Seaman Fourth Class Training” “Yokosuka Naval Barracks” The naval barracks were where newly enlisted sailors received their basic military education and training before moving on to active naval service. Yokosuka was one of the most important bases of the Imperial Japanese Navy and served as a major center for preparing sailors for service throughout the fleet. Inside are historical photographs documenting the environment in which these young sailors were trained, including Imperial Japanese Navy facilities and barracks, sailors in uniform, class and unit group photographs, the Rising Sun naval ensign, and pages identifying individual servicemen by name. What makes this album particularly interesting is that it does not simply preserve images of warships or famous officers. It preserves the faces of the ordinary sailors who formed the human foundation of the Japanese Navy. The album dates to 1934, seven years before the Pacific War began. It therefore records the Imperial Japanese Navy during the prewar period, when its peacetime training system and enormous fleet organization were still functioning before the devastating losses of the coming war. For collectors and researchers, this is a tangible record of how an ordinary young man entered the Imperial Japanese Navy and was transformed into a trained sailor. The album shows age-related wear, staining, discoloration, and rubbing consistent with an approximately 90-year-old military document. Please examine the photographs carefully for its condition. A fascinating surviving record of the men behind the Imperial Japanese Navy. Own a Piece of History. International Buyers – Please Note.
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 is an original Japanese Navy participation commemorative medal from the 1934 (Showa 9) Emergency Naval Maneuvers. ” The reverse is clearly inscribed in Japanese: “Naval Grand Maneuvers” “Emergency Period” “Participation Commemorative” “Showa 9 [1934] These inscriptions are particularly important because they connect the piece directly to a specific Japanese naval exercise and a specific year, rather than making it simply a generic naval souvenir. For collectors unfamiliar with the term, large-scale naval maneuvers were major training exercises in which warships, aircraft, communications, command systems, and fleet tactics were tested under conditions intended to simulate actual operations. The year 1934 places this piece in a particularly interesting period of Japanese history. It came only a few years after the 1931 Manchurian Incident and after Japan announced its withdrawal from the League of Nations in 1933, at a time when international tensions surrounding Japan were rapidly increasing. The use of the term “Emergency” on the medal itself makes it especially evocative of the political and military atmosphere of early-1930s Japan. The front features an impressive naval design combining a warship and aircraft. This combination is also historically interesting, reflecting a period when aviation was becoming increasingly important to Japanese naval operations alongside the traditional battle fleet. The medal has a distinctive triangular form with a suspension ring at the top. Approximate dimensions: Height: 40.7 mm Width: 29.8 mm The piece shows age-related patina, surface wear, scratches, and discoloration consistent with an old metal commemorative item. Please carefully examine the photographs for the exact condition. What makes this piece particularly collectible is that its story can still be read directly from the object itself: the organization, event, purpose, and year are preserved in its inscriptions. More than a small naval medal, it is a surviving artifact connected to a specific Imperial Japanese Navy exercise during the increasingly tense years preceding the Pacific War. Own a Piece of History. International Buyers – Please Note.