Summer Trip to Japan: Yasukuni Shrine --- Dai Tō-A Sensō (The Great East Asia War) Exibition

[SHINDENKAI]

Hi All,

I would like to share the photos taken during a Summer trip to Japan at Yasukuni Jinjya, or Yasukuni Shrine (Westerners call it "War Shrine", but that' s not appropriate).

I didn't take any surrounding view around the Yasukuni Shrine. My main objective was to see the Mitsubishi Zero (Type 52) and some other military related materials.

When I finished looking at the Zero, I saw a special exhibition on Dai Tō-A Sensō Part. II (From Battle of Midway ~ Retrieving of Kiska). There were lots of amazing things to look at, and I was very excited and took quite a lot of detail photos. So dazed that I forgot to see the rest of the other stuff after the exhibition. O' well ~ that would give me an excuse to visit the shrine next time.

Here are the photos, and I will include the translations as well (Not all, but most). Enjoy!

Cheers!
Taka


Photo No. 001: Near the main entrance of the Yasukuni Museum 遊就館 Yushukan. The Mitsubishi A6M5 Zero (Type 52) is visible.





Photo No. 002: Port side view of the Zero.



Photo No. 003: Rear view of the Zero.



Photo No. 004: IJN Type 99 Machine Gun.

Of Note: The Imperial Japanese Navy classified their Machine guns up to <40mm, Machine Cannons from 40mm< on. The Imperial Japanese Army classified their Machine Cannon from 11mm on.

]

Photo No. 005: Close up of the Japanese character of the Type 99 Machine Cannon.

九九式二十粍一號固定機銃二型改一　(Kyu Kyu-shiki Nijyuu Miri Ichi-gou Kotei Kijyuu Ni Gata Kai Ichi) - Type 99 20mm # 1 Fixed Machine Gun Type 2 Mod.1

Manufacturing Date: Showa 18 (1943) October

[ghp95134]

Nice photos, Taka-san. Thank you for sharing your visit with us.

Did you have the chance to photograph the Fukuryu (伏龍) statue -- the underwater "human mines"? It was off to one side of the building in a corner. It was much smaller than I expected .... the man was less than a meter tall. I expected the statue to be life-sized.



Cheers!
--Guy

[SHINDENKAI]

Unfortunately, I didn't even remember of going to see the other things. Later noticed that I missed whole bunch of things, they will be always there, but not the special exhibitions.

Cheers!
Taka

[Gunny Hartmann]

Hi All,

I would like to share the photos taken during a Summer trip to Japan at Yasukuni Jinjya, or Yasukuni Shrine (Westerners call it "War Shrine", but that' s not appropriate).

I didn't take any surrounding view around the Yasukuni Shrine. My main objective was to see the Mitsubishi Zero (Type 52) and some other military related materials.

When I finished looking at the Zero, I saw a special exhibition on Dai Tō-A Sensō Part. II (From Battle of Midway ~ Retrieving of Kiska). There were lots of amazing things to look at, and I was very excited and took quite a lot of detail photos. So dazed that I forgot to see the rest of the other stuff after the exhibition. O' well ~ that would give me an excuse to visit the shrine next time.

Here are the photos, and I will include the translations as well (Not all, but most). Enjoy!

Cheers!
Taka


Photo No. 001: Near the main entrance of the Yasukuni Museum 遊就館 Yushukan. The Mitsubishi A6M5 Zero (Type 52) is visible.



Photo No. 002: Port side view of the Zero.



Photo No. 003: Rear view of the Zero.



Photo No. 004: IJN Type 99 Machine Gun.

Of Note: The Imperial Japanese Navy classified their Machine guns up to <40mm, Machine Cannons from 40mm< on. The Imperial Japanese Army classified their Machine Cannon from 11mm on.


Photo No. 005: Close up of the Japanese character of the Type 99 Machine Cannon.

九九式二十粍一號固定機銃二型改一　(Kyu Kyu-shiki Nijyuu Miri Ichi-gou Kotei Kijyuu Ni Gata Kai Ichi) - Type 99 20mm # 1 Fixed Machine Gun Type 2 Mod.1

manufacturing Date: Showa 18 (1943) October

I've always liked the Zero, it's a very clean looking design, thanks for the photos!...

[SHINDENKAI]

Photo No.006: Type 89 150mm Cannon

Type 89 15 cm Cannon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Photo No.007: Memorial Plate of the Type 89 Cannon



Photo No.008: Front view of the Type 89 Cannon



Photo No.009: Shrapnel damage of the body (1).



Photo No.010: Shrapnel damage of the body (2).



Photo No.011: Ammo loading entrance.



Photo No.012: Port rear view of the Type 89 Cannon

[SHINDENKAI]

Now, to the Special Exhibition Room !!!



Photo No.013: Part .1 ミッドウエイ海戰 (Middouei Kaisenn) - Battle of Midway (Entrance is from the right side of the photo)

Battle of Midway - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Photo No.014: Portrait of Japanese Vice Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi (山口 多聞).

Tamon Yamaguchi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Photo No.015: Vice Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi' s original Navy Dagger/ w Case.

[SteveR]

Thanks for showing. The Zero is a rare bird. (pun intended)

[Tinhat]

Great pictures, I will defintiley visit on my next trip to Japan.

Can you imagine being next to that in cave when it's fired, were there any pictures of it being removed?

[QUOTE=SHINDENKAI;1019921

[URL=http://s1303.photobucket.com/user/Shinden1946/media/DSCN1301_zps4dcdae55.jpg.html][/URL]

Photo No.007: Memorial Plate of the Type 89 Cannon

[BOB COLEMAN]

Thanks for posting these interesting pictures. I visited the museum many years ago and was quite impressed by it's contents. I recall the lobby, at the time, had an Oka hanging from the ceiling. I believe the building was the IJA headquarters building during WW2. I also searched for the buildings that housed the sword kaji but found they no longer existed.

[ghp95134]

Hi Bob,

Yeah, the forge was torn down. HOWEVER ....

Special Branch Meeting at the Yasukuni Shrine
Tokyo Metropolitan Branch held a special sword viewing meeting and sword forging
demonstration at the Yasukuni Shrine in which the 400th anniversary of the foundation of the
Tokugara shogunate is under way on the 8th of November. In this occasion, mukansa smith
Yoshihara Yoshikazu demonstrated sword forging in front of the main gate of the shrine after
'Fuigo Matsuri' ceremony making a fire with charcoal of the furnace.

source

--Guy