Master Index for Reference Articles by Nick Komiya
More than seven years of continuous writing on Japanese military topics have resulted in a pile of pinned articles that makes this forum page look a bit over-cluttered, and even I find it tedious to have to go through all the titles to find a specific article.
In addition to that, my articles are still works in progress, and I frequently add new discoveries to them. However, when I update, unlike new threads that automatically rise to the top of the list, pinned threads are not set up to draw enough attention to updates, which can get easily missed.
So this is a Master Index of my articles by category to facilitate your search. Only this needs pinning at the top, and all the rest can be unpinned to tidy things up. Any updates I make to old articles will cause them to rise to the top of the page, so you won’t miss them.
Just click on the highlighted theme of interest to you, and you will be taken directly to the linked article.
ARTICLE INDEX
A. Starting out on the right foot. Primers for new collectors of Japanese Militaria
1. Pre-war vs Post-war Japanese writing. Especially for those interested in Yosegaki Flags
2. Kamikaze Headbands. No, they were not for pilots, but for student girls.
3. Read this before touching any Rising Sun Flags
4. Reservist items that get mistakenly bought as Navy and Army items.
5. Typical Collector misconceptions about the Naval Land Forces. Non-Japanese collectors tend to entertain the illusion they were elite counterparts of the US Marines, but in truth, they were more of a naval penal unit or like the German Volksturm, composed of those unfit for sea or aviation branches. Being assigned to the NLF was ultimate demotion in the IJN.
6. For those who want to return Yosegaki flags to the Japanese soldier’s family
7. Beware of modern “Gamer Goods” sold as WW2 militaria.
8. The unintended American penchant for collecting Japanese school cap emblems. Japanese school cap emblems can have wings, stars, swords, cherry blossoms, eagles and anchors on them, constantly fooling disoriented bargain hunters into buying them in the hope they are military.
B. Medals, Orders and Badges
1. Story of the Order of the Golden Kite
2. Evolution of Imperial Japan’s War Medals
3. Evolution of Imperial Japan’s Commemorative Medals
4. Evolution of the Navy’s Gunnery Proficiency Badge
5. Evolution of the Army and Navy’s Pilot Badges
6. Obscure badges. Naval Anchor lapel badges. Army Press Club badge.
9. Japanese countermeasures for wartime metal shortages
10. Awards for army dogs, horses and pigeons
11. Evolution of Rising Sun Order Lapel Rosettes
C. Headgear
1. Evolution of the Japanese Army Steel Helmet and Accessories
2. Evolution of the Japanese Army field caps
3. Evolution of the Japanese Army Sun Helmet
4. The black night raid helmet myth. Besides the fact that helmet covers were regarded as critical for stealth in night raids by muffling the metallic clang when a branch comes swooshing back from someone wading through the bush ahead, it was strictly taboo for soldiers to abuse one’s gear and personalize them like painting the helmet black.
D. Fieldgear
1. Evolution of IJA Rifle Ammunition Pouches
2. Evolution of IJA Water Bottles
3. Evolution of IJA Shelter Halves
4. Evolution of IJA Bread Bags
5. Evolution of IJA Gas Masks
6. Evolution of army dog tags
7. Army Paybook content, the Imperial Rescript to Soldiers and Sailors
8. Navy Acceptance Stamp Regulations
E. Uniforms
1. Evolution of IJA Flight Uniforms
2. Evolution of uniforms worn by the Emperor
3. Evolution of Army uniform marking practices
F. Swords
1. Evolution of the Army’s Type 95 NCO Gunto
2. The practice of sharpening and dulling of blades on bayonets and swords in the army
3. The true significance and identity of the Army Contingency Spec Officer Sword commonly
misidentified as the Type 3 Officer sword.
5. Program for converting family blades and short blades into Gunto
5. The launching of the 1937 naval officer’s sword
6. The Golden Sword presented to the Emperor of Manchukuo
7. Misidentifying the Emperor’s Grand Marshal’s Sword
G. Flags
1. Army and Navy Battle Flags
2. Navy Signal Flags
H. The War Economy and Civilian Life
1. Military style civilian uniforms
2. Wartime Markings on Civilian Goods
I. Japanese Symbolisms
1. The Chrysanthemum Crest, the Army Star and the Rising Sun
J. The Kamikaze Myth
1. 4 Kamikaze Secrets
2. Kamikaze Headband Hoaxes
K. Miscellaneous
1. The Obscure and Bizarre
2. Army Barracks Furniture
