Original Item: Only One Available. Here we have a very nice example of an Imperial Japanese Army Officer Winter Fur cap, as used during WWII. While most picture the "Pacific War" as being fought on a bunch of Tropical Islands, Japan itself has regions of cold, and they also invaded China and were aware of the threat if Russia were to attack. They also invaded the Aleutian Island chain portion of Alaska, which is anything but tropical.
The design of the cap is similar to winter caps used around the world, insulated with a flap going around the cap that can be folded down as needed due to colder weather. The portion over the ears is longer, so it can be tied under the chin, and there is a button and loop that hold the flaps in the upright position. There are also small ear flaps on each side, possibly used with earphones or just to aid in hearing, which have loops on them to attach to buttons for both the open and closed positions.
This is a cap for an officer, so unlike the EM/NCO version, the real fur was used throughout the construction, whereas the enlisted version had faux fur on the flap. The officer version also has a larger front flap / visor area, with a metal star badge instead of the sewn on yellow star.
The interior of the cap is lined with sheer brown rayon faux silk, definitely a step up from the canvas used on the EM/NCO version. There are two small stamps on the inside, most likely maker marks, as this looks to be a bespoke cap. As with many countries, officers were required to purchase their own equipment, so it does not have the usual IJA date and size stampings seen. There does appear to have at one point been a label sewn onto the inside, probably removed by the owner for a more comfortable fit.
Condition of the cap is excellent, with little sign that this was used in the field. Even the rabbit fur is in good condition, which is not common, because rabbit fur is very delicate and soft and can be easily damaged. The olive green wool body shows no mothing we can see, and is in great shape.
A great chance to pick up a hard to find Imperial Japanese Army Officers Winter cap, ready to display!
The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA "Army of the Greater Japanese Empire") was the official ground-based armed force of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945. It was controlled by the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office and the Ministry of the Army, both of which were nominally subordinate to the Emperor of Japan as supreme commander of the army and the navy. Later an Inspectorate General of Aviation became the third agency with oversight of the army. During wartime or national emergencies, the nominal command functions of the emperor would be centralized in an Imperial General Headquarters (IGHQ), an ad-hoc body consisting of the chief and vice chief of the Army General Staff, the Minister of the Army, the chief and vice chief of the Naval General Staff, the Inspector General of Aviation, and the Inspector General of Military Training.
