Bamboo Army Sun Helmets, really?

[Nick Komiya]

I was surprised to read on a sun helmet site about controversies on whether the bamboo helmets shown below were army sun helmets or just farmer helmets. Why the controversy over something so obvious? I did not discuss this in my sun helmet story for a good reason; they are neither military nor sun helmets.

They are well known in Japan to be simply cheap civil defense helmets made out of alternative material after the China Incident caused material shortages from 1937 onwards. They even made such air raid helmets in papiermache, so a bamboo version offered better protection and was less than half the price of a version in fiber. Handily priced, they were quite common and seen in many museum displays of civilian life during material shortages. They are found often enough with commercial price control tags and street addresses, so they are solidly civilian in origin and purpose. Absolutely no chance of military use. For good measure I also attach government pricing regulations that discuss these bamboo civil defense helmets.

I'll include photos below showing how museum displays in Japan feature them, the tag you typically find on them, etc. So no more bamboozling about army bamboo sun helmets, please.

[Nick Komiya]

double post see below for a short video featuring the helmet

[Nick Komiya]

Here's even a NHK program about civilian life under material shortages caused by the China Incident 35 seconds into the video they show you a bamboo helmet after a ceramic hand iron.

Another photo saying the same

[Nick Komiya]

Those who haven't read the sun helmet story can find it here The Evolution of the Japanese Imperial Army Sun Helmet (1915-1945)

[Jareth]

Funny. Just yesterday got into with a poster on another board who would like to think his bamboo helmet was military! Great work Nick!

[Nick Komiya]

Another thing people still constantly get wrong about such items is that they actually appeared in the 1930s, and were NOT last ditch products that appeared in 1944/45. The NHK video got this right, which shows they did their homework.

All the lower spec alternatives for the Army, like the swords erroneously called Type 3, rubberized canvas replacing leather, field caps in felt rather than wool, flight uniforms lined in cat and dog fur, use of recycled bronze coins to make the China Incident War Medal, etc were all countermeasures against material shortages of the pre-WW2 1930s. If the army had to lower their standards, civilian goods like civil defense helmets naturally had to suffer even more and much earlier.

Thus Japan was already in an economic crisis when the USA cut off further supply in the form of an embargo. One ends up missing the whole point by simply attributing substandard items to last ditch efforts of WW2.

[tomp]

Very interesting and very good information, Nick. Sadly, I think it might be an uphill battle with this kind of thing, but a worthy battle nonetheless. It will be very interesting to see what information the collecting community will be sharing in decades to come concerning this type of material.


Tom

[Nick Komiya]

Here is a Jan. 1942 ad from a magazine for a Civil Defense helmet made of magnesium.

[ghp95134]

Have you prepared?
Magnesium Made
Steel Helmet
(Cherry Blossom Mark)

First line of protection after the rifle

Sold by Okamoto Shōkai

[DaveR]

Regarding early onset shortages I found this interesting. A US propaganda item, printed as a ten yen note one side, and text on the other....