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Imperial Japanese Army Uniforms tended to reflect the uniforms of those countries who were the principal advisors to the Imperial Japanese Army at the time.
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The initial uniform colour was dark blue, following the contemporary French style and resembling that of the Union Army of the American Civil War.
Resembling the Imperial German Army M1842/M1856 dunkelblau uniform, the dark blue single-breasted tunic had a low standing collar and no pockets. It was worn with matching straight trousers and a kepi (red for Imperial Guard) on which was worn a brass five point star. After the Franco-Prussian War the kepi was replaced with a flat topped peaked cap and the tunic collar became higher. Pockets were added to officers' tunics late in its issue.
Infantry uniforms had red facings on tunic collars, shoulder straps and trouser stripes. Line infantry had yellow bands and piping on their caps while the infantry of the Imperial Guard were distinguished by red. Trouser seams for both branches of the infantry had wide red stripes. Artillery had yellow facings on their dark blue uniforms. The branch colour for engineers was dark brown, green for medical and light blue for transport units.
A dark blue shako (red for Imperial Guard units) was worn for full dress. The ordinary duty and active service headdress was however a form of peaked cap with a narrow crown, somewhat resembling the French kepi of the period.
A lightweight white cotton version was used for fatigue duties and tropical wear. In hot weather white trousers and cap covers were worn with the dark blue tunics.
Senior officers could wear a longer, double-breasted version of the tunic in full dress. Other features included elaborate gold braiding on the cuffs according to rank, waist sashes, gold shoulder cords and plumes on the dress kepi.
Cavalry regiments wore a short attila jacket with transverse hussar style braiding in yellow (red for the cavalry of the Imperial Guard). Breeches were red. The cavalry branch colour was green and in 1905 this colour appeared on both collars and breeches stripes.
The dark blue uniform adopted under the 1886 Regulations was retained with only minor modifications until 1905. As such it was worn during the early months of the Russo-Japanese War. A khaki summer uniform had been introduced shortly before the outbreak of war and this became general issue for front line infantry during June–August 1904. Cavalry and artillery were subsequently issued with the new khaki uniform but some second line units continued to wear dark blue until the end of the War in September 1905. During the winter of 1904-05 the heavier blue uniforms were again worn but often under the loose fitting summer khaki drill for camouflage.
Following the Russo-Japanese War the Japanese Army adopted khaki for all occasions - the first major army to discard colourful parade dress. Only the cavalry squadrons of the Imperial Guard and officers of all branches were authorised to retain their coloured uniforms for certain ceremonial and social occasions, until 1939.
This was basically a khaki cotton version of the 1886 uniform with a shorter jacket.
The 1911 uniform replaced the blue uniform. It was basically a yellowish-khaki (called mustard) colored version of the blue uniform. The new flat topped peaked cap had a red band, the tunic collar had swallow tailed red patches and the shoulders had red passants to indicate rank. The uniform was produced in wool for winter and cotton for summer wear.
The Showa Type 5, also called the M90 or 2590 or 1930 uniform was basically the 1911 uniform but introduced internal breast pockets with scalloped pocket flaps on the tunic for all ranks. Also the straight trousers were later replaced with pantaloons which were worn with woolen spiral wound puttees and tapes.
The M98 (1938) was a further modification of the M90 uniform. The single breasted tunic had a stand and fall collar, five buttons which ran down the front and two, or more usually, four internal pockets with scalloped flaps (depending) on manufacturer. Long trousers or pantaloons were worn as standard along with the puttees and tapes. All except mounted troops (who wore breeches and high leather boots) wore this uniform with horsehide, pigskin or leather ankle-boots. The boots had either a hobnailed hard leather sole with metal heel J-cleat or a rubber sole with rubber cleats. When off duty, soldiers could wear tabis. A collarless wool or cotton white, grey or light green under shirt was worn under the tunic. This had one or two patch breast pockets with buttoned flaps, most had only a single pocket on the left breast. A khaki cotton shirt with stand and fall collar and two breast pockets could be worn in warm climates, with or without the tunic. The flat-topped peaked cap was replaced by a cloth field cap with a short leather or (more usually) cloth peak. Originally produced in khaki it was later produced in various shades of green ranging from grey-green to a dark green.
The Type 3 Officers Uniform, was introduced in 1943 and was similar to the Type 98 but was made of cheaper materials. It also reintroduced cuff insignias for officers. It was produced in various shades of green. Officers could wear the uniform tunic open over a white or light green shirt and black or green tie.
Officers were not usually issued uniforms so they had to procure their own, thus there was a wide variety in the details, colour and texture of their uniforms, with uniform colours ranging from tan to dark green. Collars were taller and stiffer and materials were of a higher quality. Senior officers could procure and wear a double-breasted version of the blue and M90 uniforms. All ranks wore a single breasted version of the M98. Officers could wear straight trousers with their M98 uniforms as a walking out uniform and later they could also wear the tunic with the collar open over a white or grey green shirt.
The IJA issued single-breasted over coats, capes and raincoats with hoods in olive drab.