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    Although there is a link bar to the left, it does not link
    directly to each page, so I have created a SITE MAP.
    Here you can access any page quickly.
    This site is to help everyone enjoy the exciting hobby of collecting
    military sake cups and bottles from Imperial Japan.

    I have designed a few pages to show common kanji and common
    symbols that appear on Japanese military cups. Let me know what you
    think!

    I also have cups and other items for sale, so please check these out as
    well. (Note that any items not on the Store pages have either been sold
    already or are not currently for sale.)
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    There are three good books on Japanese military cups:

    Dan King's Japanese Military Sake Cups 1894-1945
    Mutsuki Kato's HEITAI SAKAZUKI (SOLDIERS' CUPS)
    Richard Fuller's Japanese Military Sake Cups

    All three are essential for the cup collector, but Kato's
    book is in Japanese.

    Identifying kanji here is my main concern, but also
    distinguishing different symbols and insignia is very
    important.

    Since I am merely an amateur historian, I use a lot of
    different sources, some of which may turn out to be
    dubious. If I get anything wrong, drop me a line.
From a military shop advertisement, which ran to five pages.
Printed in the 1930s. Check out the tank cup on the bottom
right!
See more detail from this pamphlet by clicking the link below.
1930s pamphlet
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Two single-cup boxes for 5.5 cm cups.
Similar designs. Made of thin cardboard.
See more packages
here.
1930s or 40s magazine cover.
Here are some packages that are considerably thinner than the cardboard
boxes. They are actually a kind of sturdy rice paper. It seems quite clear that
these were meant to be disposed of after bringing the cups home. They have
thin paper flaps on either end that do not hook together, so the cups would
have a tendency to slip right out if not handled carefully.
Various bottles (tokkuri)
Beautiful hand-painted design
Inscribed 'Navy, Discharge Commemorative'.
Scarce vehicle cup. Inscribed 'Victorious Return
Commemorative, Kwantung Army Vehicle Unit
'
I have opened a companion site as well. It is
still in the beginning stages, but I'm adding
new pictures and pages every week.
Please have a look:
Beautiful hand-painted fighter plane, clouds, and trees.
Inscribed 'Tachiarai, 4th Air Corps, Abe'. The red name is probably
that of the artist. It looks like the first kanji in 'Hattori'.

Tachiarai is in Fukuoka Prefecture. The IJA established an Air
Base (and the 4th regiment) there in 1919, In 1940 an Army Flight
School was opened. However, it was destroyed in 1945 by U.S.
bombers.

I believe the 4th Regiment from Tachiarai was part of the Pearl
Harbor attack force.
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