"Civilian" Wakizashi use in WWII? How common was this?

[adachi]

One of the reasons I thought that you might be right, was that there is a photo of a Japanese serviceman with a piece of US kit. NLF rather than IJA I think though.

That looks like army to me. A reverse search also brings up the image in a photo set of the surrender of Japanese to Soviets, which was almost exclusively army I believe. Here's another soldier with a US belt on Saipan. NLF did use captured US gear in the field as well. I don't want to go too far off topic though, it might make a good thread however.

[monkeyboy]

The pic's of Japanese soldiers using GI gear, and in the case of the last pic, an M1 carbine are postwar when they were being used for policing type duties.

[ziomanno]

This is my mumei wakizashi in combat saya. 57,5 cm nagasa (roughly 22,6 inches). Due the old polish, not 100% sure it is a nihonto blade, but it should be.

[adachi]

The pic's of Japanese soldiers using GI gear, and in the case of the last pic, an M1 carbine are postwar when they were being used for policing type duties.

According to US archives this was at the Surrender of Saipan (holdouts)

[DaveR]

When used as "Armed Police", Japanese troops were issued a US made uniform in different style and material, as can be seen in the first picture. Contrast with the same man (?) in the next image, taken in Nanjing 1938.

[DaveR]

I think we do need to differentiate between short blades given a gunto style makeover and "civilian style" wakizashi known to have been taken to war in a less official capacity. Modifications for these vary from minimal, such as a shrunk on leather cover on the saya, and possibly the tsuka, through to non. In the latter case, they would not be recognised as anything other than a traditional wakizashi, and can only be identified as used in WWII when they appear in photo's of Japanese servicemen.

[monkeyboy]

According to US archives this was at the Surrender of Saipan (holdouts)

Ah, yes, Oba's group. I was wrong. Thank you for the correction. Still though, a postwar surrender.

So as to contribute to the OP's original post and not get too far off track, here's a pic of another civilian Wakazashi in a military type pigskin covered wood scabbard. The former owners name and address is on the scabbard.