Best Museums of Japanese Gear?

[kaigunair]

Was thinking it might be great to have a list of museums and exhibits 'round the world that have great displays of japanese wwii militaria. To start of the list (and start out the format):

Planes of Fame (chino, california, USA): IJ aircraft
[ http://www.planesoffame.org/]

Yasukuni Jinja Yushukan (tokyo, Japan): Jpn wwii history, kamikaze letters, numerous displays of military past, mini subs
[http://www.yasukuni.or.jp/english/]

Nimitz Museum/National Museum of the Pacific War (Fredericksburg, Texas, USA): has saburo sakai's helmet and goggles
[http://www.nimitz-museum.org]

Military Antiques Museum (petaluma, calfornia, USA): a militaria store, has one display of tropical IJA gear in "The Vault" museum.
[http://militaryantiquesmuseum.com/]


An online list of kamikaze related museums in japan:
[http://wgordon.web.wesleyan.edu/kami...eums/index.htm]

[mcmike]

J. Museums

Excellent idea. I hope to get down to the Nimitz in the next couple of months (200 miles), and will photograph liberally to capture the indoor and outdoor exhibits. The Nimitz is just the other side of Nowhere, Texas, but is a great repository of Pacific Theater items.

Also, it would be good to compile a list of on-line picture museums that we can all visit anytime!

[Jareth]

The Intrepid Air & Sea Museum docked in N.Y.C. has a great little Pacific war display including Japanese militaria.

[tropenmilitaria]

I need to get out west and check out some of those places. I would also add that the National Museum of the USAF (Wright Patt) in Dayton, Ohio has a Zero and a Kawanishi N1K "George" among its huge selection of planes.
http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/
The National Museum of the Marine Corps outside DC also has Japanese swords, weapons, etc.
http://www.usmcmuseum.org/
My favorite is the National D-Day Museum in New Orleans where they cover many of the individual island landings by the US forces separately and have great info to read underneathe the displays describing the veteran who got the items and the story behind the acquisition.
http://www.ddaymuseum.org/

[cbuehler]

I would take issue with the absurd and insulting mannequins at the Military Antiques museum in Petaluma. Other than that, there is not much really outstanding Japanese material to see other that fairly common stuff.
If in the Philippines, Villa Escudero in Tiaong, Quezon Province, has some outstanding and very rare Japanese ordnance, including artillery and aircraft machine guns and cannon and even a type 89 tank that was actually running in the early 1970's!

CB

[robcox1]

It has been a few years since I was there, but I remember being impressed by the amount of Japanese stuff in the Virginia War Museum.

http://www.warmuseum.org/default.htm

It is also worth seeing MacArthur's tomb which is nearby, not a lot of stuff but things you won't see elsewhere like Tojo's sword.

[David J]

Not huge, but Camp Blanding in Stark, FL has a small FL National Guard museum. The guard unit fought in the pacific and they have a lot of cool Jpanese stuff that its vets brought back. My favorite it a sword with bullet lodged in the hand guard. A fellow shot it and the japanese soldier who was charging at him with it.

[JCB]

re:

Hey cbuehler, does that Philippines museum (Villa Escudero in Tiaong, Quezon Province) have a website? You mention rare japanese ordnance, Damn I'd love to see pictures. Can you describe what kind of ordnance whey have on display?

Jim
JapaneseOrdnance at Yahoo.com

Inert Japanese Ordnance is my main collecting focus. Flags and headgear next....

[Barry]

If I remember correctly I think Col. Brophy's collection is at Fort Benning.
Barry