Jikatabi - A strange souvenir

[mdk014]

Here's another one I thought I would share. Picked this one up from a local vet who was a surgical technician with the 30th evacuation hospital. He states they serviced the 1st Marine Division.

On Cape Gloucester his unit was moving up and they had to be careful of Japanese snipers tying themselves in trees. He says he carried an M1 carbine. Anyway, in the lot I purchased was a lot of common items. I did get a nice set of USMC boondockers. The most interesting piece was this single jikatabi. (spelling?)

It's the first time I had seen one in person and was curious why there was only one. I asked James why he only brought one back. He looked at me like I was crazy and replied, "Because he only had one leg left." He states he removed the boot from the Japanese soldier and mailed it home to his mom to keep as a souvenir for him. I know it is a little morbid but we didn't live through it. James says after a while things like that just didn't bother him any more.

[mdk014]

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[GeorgeP]

Interesting, thanks for sharing! Would it be possible to get a close up pic. of the maker's mark on the bottom of the tabi? If you have the time of course. Thanks!


Tom

[mdk014]

Here you go.

[dave peifer]

i really like that,keep the story with it.........dave

[nomadr]

Why would there be English lettering "MADE IN JAPAN" on the sole?

Bob

[alderbayer]

i think "MADE IN JAPAN" is post war, wartime must be "MADE IN NIPPON", but i´m not sure.

Alex

[gunto]

The mark “Made in Japan” came into use in 1949. After the Japanese surrender in 1945 at the end of World War II, the United States required all Japanese imports to bear the make “Made in Occupied Japan.” However, in 1949 the U.S. relaxed this requirement to allow the familiar “Made in Japan” mark

[DilipS]

DilipS

The mark “Made in Japan” came into use in 1949. After the Japanese surrender in 1945 at the end of World War II, the United States required all Japanese imports to bear the make “Made in Occupied Japan.” However, in 1949 the U.S. relaxed this requirement to allow the familiar “Made in Japan” mark

I got a different take on this matter. Prior to WW2 there was a rule that all japanese manufacturers seeking to export to the USA had to have the country of origin indicated in English. This was told to me by the highly knowledgaeable dealer who sold me three pairs over several years. So wartime jikatabi have "made in Japan".Jikatabi were not strictly speaking not just military issue. Prior tio the war they were worn by peasants working in rice paddies to protect them from parasitical worms , mine workers and construction workers. So they were work shoes. the companies that made them were Bridgestone, Moonstar and Asahi. they are some of the earliest products of the Japanese rubber industry. Bridgestone even claim that thepopularity of the Jikatabi created the capital they needed to start rubber tire manufacture. I own two pairs which have "made in Japan: and one with only japanese writing. one of these pairs are closed tabi shoe

[DilipS]

DilipS

Here you go.

This is an interesting story and only confirms the authenticity of the tabi. tabi shoes were issued to all Japanese soldiers as a second pair of footwear, more for relaxed situations in the barracks. But as their supplies were disrupted they ended up being worn as replacements to the leather boots.

they were really work shoes and used by the working classes. even today you can buy tabi in Japan, though the designs are different.

Please check out my reply to Gunto. The pair you posted is definitely a wartime pair. I have two pairs(of which one is a closed toe tabi) with "made in Japan" and one without. Tabi ar eoften in bad condition.

[gunto]

Will still stick to my source.

[Jareth]

Even if wartime produced how do you prove they are military?

[mdk014]

All I can add to this is I was with the vet when he pulled out an old shoe box of stuff he had brought home. Some very common stuff, a great pair of marine boondockers and this jikatabi. I have no idea on the markings. Just what I got with a lot of other items from the vet.