I´ve picked up this belt. Could anybody help me even with translation of the kanji? Is it an army issue-belt or civilian? I cannot find it in my textbooks.
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Closeup of the kanji. -
Taiso-Bando
This is a 体操バンド "taiso-bando" exercise belt. Still worn today in the Jieitai for sports (at least when I was in Japan from 1990-1995). I think they evolved from the English and German "stable belts". I've got one with three leather straps & buckles, with a French fleur-del-lis on each strap. You can barely see the Japanese inspector marks on mine. [Edited to add] ... Because of the French design, I'm guessing mine was introduced while France still had the contract to instruct the new Meiji-era Japanese army. The French lost the Franco-Prussian war in 1871 and the wheels of progress cranked slowly, even in Japan, whose staunch traditionalists wanted to maintain the French because "that's what we've done before." Japan eventually contracted the Germans to instruct the army sometime around 1880. So I think my belt is around that period. [P.S. England had the contract to instruct the Satsuma Clan's new navy just prior to the Satsuma Rebellion; after they lost the revolt and the onset of Meiji Restoration began, the new Meiji government carried over that contract with the English to instruct the Imperial Japanese Navy.]
These exercise belts are worn with the buckles to the rear, the way the British wear their stable belts. Though, I've just come across some images on Google Images showing one being worn with buckles to the front here.
Pre-1945 -- I've only ever seen photos of "no stripe" or "two stripe" belts. I take it the "two-stripe" belts were for instructiors.
1944:
Sgt. Nakamura Taizaburo wearing a "no-stripe" exercise belt to retain his scabbard.
Sgt. Nakmura on the right is wearing a two-striped belt.
From the Toyama Academy handbook Guntou no Souho oyobi Tameshigiri [Military Sword Methods and Test Cutting]. Note the two-striped belt.
We could wear these belts in Toyama Ryu as an option to the classic "hakama/keikogi"; they are worn in modern jukenjutsu (bayonet fencing).
Modern rankings:
Modern:
No stripe: regular soldier/sailor
two stripes: Renshi level [instructor level]; This one is the one I wore.
three stripes: Kyoshi rank [teacher]
four stripes: Hanshi rank [master].
--GuyComment
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Sorry, I forgot to confirm that it is military. All I can read is Shou-18 meaning Showa 18 year (1943).Originally posted by ral6014 View Post
--GuyComment
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Thank you very much for this lot of good informations
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Here's my 1880s belt with Japanese stamps on the underside.
This probably was an actual "stable" belt, used while riding? I'm thinking so because of the hard leather stays on the back.
--GuyComment
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Wow this is a nice huge belt!
The fleur de lys are quite curious, I did not expect to see that kind of heraldic, french royal family symbol ona japanese belt. Could it be french made?
I know the japanese believed the french army to be the best until Napoleon the Third (who was not a great fan of the fleur de lys) was defeated by the prussian army in 1871. Then they started to work with germans advisers.
So it might be a decade older, interesting detail anyway.
Oh ... I just read in your edit that you figured this out, sorry for the echo!Comment
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