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IJN buttons

Article about: Hello gents, hopefully someone can help me .In Men - At -Arms Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces p.45,it shows a photo of IJN buttons that says the blossom is high on the shank for E.M.,

  1. #1

    Default IJN buttons

    Hello gents, hopefully someone can help me .In Men - At -Arms Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces p.45,it shows a photo of IJN buttons that says the blossom is high on the shank for E.M., and in the middle for officers and P.O.'s, but on my P.O. visor hat the blossom is at the top of the shank and on my tunic the blossom is in the middle? Does this mean that the tunic is for a P.O.?. If the tunic is for a P.O. I'm still confused about the hat. Thank you in advance, Bill.IJN buttonsIJN buttonsIJN buttons

  2. #2
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    Both my officer and my PO visors have the sakura in the middle, as does my blue EM field cap. Maybe the small chinstrap buttons are just all the same regardless of rank. I do have 2 loose jacket buttons (cave finds from Okinawa) with the sakura higher up. I've never really paid much attention to the difference before.

    IJN buttons

    IJN buttons

    IJN buttons

    IJN buttons

  3. #3

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    Quote by Ryoyo View Post
    Both my officer and my PO visors have the sakura in the middle, as does my blue EM field cap. Maybe the small chinstrap buttons are just all the same regardless of rank. I do have 2 loose jacket buttons (cave finds from Okinawa) with the sakura higher up. I've never really paid much attention to the difference before.

    IJN buttons

    IJN buttons

    IJN buttons

    IJN buttons
    Thanks Ryoyo

  4. #4
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    From the examples I've seen, by 1944 they did not have the luxury of selecting proper button styles for new uniforms, so you could see all sorts of variations of buttons on the Class III uniforms. The button type on your uniform seems to be the most common for enlisted Class III tunics. The button on your cap is the PO style but on naval infantry uniforms (eg 3 button rikusenfuku) the enlisted men had those buttons too.

    PS: I wouldn't rely on the Osprey SNLF book for anything other than photo references, they get the dates on many things wrong and there's not a single page of it free of numerous errors.

  5. #5

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    Thanks guys you 've answered a lot of questions I've had about this subject. Bill.

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    Here are the official type designations for the navy button types as defined and illustrated in the Emperor's Imperial Edicts establishing uniform regulations. The edict is further accompanied by spreadsheets that breakdown each uniform item into components used, so if you look up visor caps for officers, under "chin strap and button" it will say "Gold Type 2" in the button column of the chart. Officer uniform jackets will say "Gold Type 1"

    For EM, designations will be Type 3 and 4. These regulations were issued directly by the Emperor. So one needs to be cautious about taking the "anything was possible at the end of the war" attitude with Japanese items.
    Click to enlarge the picture Click to enlarge the picture IJN buttons  

  7. #7
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    Here is a good Japanese blog post with photo examples showing the buttons on an enlisted and an officer Class III tunic. If you search "三種軍装 下士官兵" (enlisted/PO Class III uniform) you will see pretty much all of them have the style of flat buttons with the sakura in the center that SHEMP H's tunic has, as well as many ones with wood or plastic-like buttons. I've also seen quite a few period photos of enlisted men wearing ones with domed metal buttons, but I haven't found a good picture of a surviving example, so I'm unsure if they have the sakura on the top of the anchor or the middle. I propose that either regulations changed around 1944 for buttons or as previously stated they were less selective with buttons due to material shortages.
    寛永第一衣糧廠:日本海軍 下士官兵略衣(昭19制)その4及び下士官兵第三種軍装着装写真

    EDIT: also note the buttons seen on the Enlisted/PO Class III's still lack the chain as shown in the November 30th 1943 regulations.
    Last edited by adachi; 08-06-2019 at 07:53 AM.

  8. #8

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    Indeed, EM button designs were updated as of 30th November 1943, as shown in the government gazette below.
    Click to enlarge the picture Click to enlarge the picture IJN buttons  

  9. #9

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    Quote by adachi View Post
    Here is a good Japanese blog post with photo examples showing the buttons on an enlisted and an officer Class III tunic. If you search "三種軍装 下士官兵" (enlisted/PO Class III uniform) you will see pretty much all of them have the style of flat buttons with the sakura in the center that SHEMP H's tunic has, as well as many ones with wood or plastic-like buttons. I've also seen quite a few period photos of enlisted men wearing ones with domed metal buttons, but I haven't found a good picture of a surviving example, so I'm unsure if they have the sakura on the top of the anchor or the middle. I propose that either regulations changed around 1944 for buttons or as previously stated they were less selective with buttons due to material shortages.
    寛永第一衣糧廠:日本海軍 下士官兵略衣(昭19制)その4及び下士官兵第三種軍装着装写真
    So if I understand you gents correctly there is no sech animal as a P.O. T3 tunic? Thanks again. Bill.

  10. #10
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    Quote by SHEMP H View Post
    So if I understand you gents correctly there is no sech animal as a P.O. T3 tunic? Thanks again. Bill.
    That's right, they streamlined the Class III uniforms into a single uniform for enlisted and PO, unlike the Class I and II (navy blue and white) uniforms beforehand.

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