TRANSPORT UNITS

The transport units carried food, ammunition, and other supplies to the troops. It appears that
within the transport units were also the medical units and the field hospitals.

The main patterns and symbols found on transport cups include horses, vehicles, and once in a
while weapons. However, it must be said that almost anything was on these transport cups.

Since the number of soldiers in transport units was large, you can easily find cups from these
units. In addition to the transport-specific patterns you'll also see a lot of more general designs
like crossed flags, military stars, and cherry blossoms.
The kanji for TRANSPORT, often combined
with HEAVY, as seen in the three pictures to
the right.
Here the kanji for TRANSPORT is followed
by a number, 17, which indicates the
regiment number.
Heavy Transport 16th Regiment
A rare signed flag (YOSEKAKI) sake cup. In practice,
Japanese soldiers were given a silk or cloth flag signed by
friends and family. He would then take it with him to battle.
This cup has a flag like that; these rarely appear on sake
cups for some unknown reason. The phrases on this flag
are: The Glory of the Country, Banzai to the Japanese
Empire,  Loyalty & Bravery.'

The other characters read 'Heavy Transport 3rd Regiment
Commemorative'.
See this page for another example with a slightly different
inscription.
Inscribed '2nd Transport, Discharge Commemorative, Ohira'.
Inscribed '17th Transport, Discharge Commemorative'.
The design has blossoms and a blue symbol that is the Cavalry Academy
insignia. Brown porcelain.
Inscribed 'Transport Infantry, 15th Battalion, Discharge Commemorative'.
Transport truck.
Inscribed '16th Transport Unit, Discharge Commemorative'.
'Transport Infantry, 10th Battalion.'
'16th Transport, Discharge Commemorative'.
Kutani kiln.
Inscribed 'Victorious Return Commemorative, 10th
Transport'.
The black kanji make up one of the slogans of the
China Incident.
Pronounced in Japanese: boushi-youchou, it can be
translated as 'Bringing Discipline to a Violent China.'
Inscribed 'Himeji Castle, Discharge
Commemorative, 10th Transport.'
'11th Transport, Discharge Commemorative'.
An Imperial Guard vehicle cup, fairly scarce.

Inscribed 'Imperial Guard Transport Regiment, Discharge Commemorative'.
Rare vehicle cup with an Army sedan of some sort.
Inscribed 'Transport Infantry, 3rd Division, Discharge
Commemorative, Higuchi'.
Inscribed 'Transport Infantry 5th Battalion,
Discharge Commemorative, Yoshinaga'.  
Inscribed 'Transport 10th Division'.