Japanese cap to identify

[Remka]

Hello,

Could you help me identify that cap that looks like navy dress officer's cap, but in red? What is the rank? Could you translate me the label of the box and the name inside?

Thank you very much.

[GHP]

近衛師団

Infantry major, Japanese Imperial Guards Regiment.

Label: [there's a lot I cannot read!!]

Top:

Ordered Date: [Taisho] 7, December 10th [1925]
Delivery Date: [Taisho] 7, December 20th

Right:
金弐＊五拾*
Gold ２*５0* [some sort of old measurements for the stripes?]

Left:
近歩四
Ko-Hei-Yon
Imp. Guards Division, Infantry, 4th Regiment
近 ＝ 近衛師団 Konoe Shidan [Imperial Guards Division]
歩 = 歩兵 Hohei [Infantry]

Middle line is his home address
自宅渋谷区原宿二丁目一七〇、七号
Jitaku Shibuya-ku Harajuku ni-chōme
Home address: Shibuya Ward, Harajuku 2-chome No. 170-7

Left line:
歩兵 Heiho: Infantry
少佐 Shosa: Major

天明正三
Ama'aki Shōzō

Hat:
天明
Ama'aki


--Guy

Images from Taisho-era poster. Red hat is of Imperial Guards Lt.Col; the black hat below shows a normal army major -- it's the same as yours but in navy blue.

[Remka]

Thank you again for your help Guy.

Is this a dress cap or parade cap? Because I often saw imperial guard caps like this one:

This cap model is between 1913 and 1945 if I'm not mistaken?

[Remka]

And are you sure of the translation of the name inside the cap? With kanjis 天明 I find "Tenmei"

[Remka]

I often saw imperial guard caps like this one*:

[Remka]

And it seems to me that Taisho 7 corresponds to 1918 and not to 1925.

[GHP]

And it seems to me that Taisho 7 corresponds to 1918 and not to 1925.

Oops! Sorry about that!!!! I must have googled Taisho 14 for some reason???


--Guy

[GHP]

And are you sure of the translation of the name inside the cap? With kanjis 天明 I find "Tenmei"

One can not always be certain of Japanese names. I also thought it was "tenmei", but 天明 can be pronounced a few ways ... I selected the first one on the list. Now I note that "Tenmei" is the bottom of the list.

A Google search doesn't help this time. Often I can find a few people with using the same kanji, then deduce the more common pronunciation.

Just found this site

Common reading:
あまあけ Amaake (surname)

Additional readings:
あまあき Amaaki (surname)
たかあき Takaaki (unclassified person name)
てんみょう Tenmyou (surname)
てんめい Tenmei (place name, surname)

--Guy

[GHP]

...Is this a dress cap or parade cap?...

Yes.

[GHP]

I often saw imperial guard caps like this one*:

The poster I attached up-thread is dated Meiji 40 (1907). If you look below the parade caps you'll see the regular "walking out cap"; to the left of the cap is the Army star and below the cap is the Guards Wreath/Star.

Unfortunately the size is too small for me to easily/clearly/accurately read the nomenclatures of the items. HOWEVER....

To the right of the caps and uniforms is the category title:
陸軍制服
Rikugun Seifuku
Army Uniforms

The parade caps (although fuzzy kanji) are labeled:
第一*帽 (* too fuzzy)
Number 1 Hat

And the uniforms are:
正服
Seifuku [formal uniform]
this has the same pronunciation as 制服 seifuku ("uniform") as in the category title.


The khaki hat and uniform are labeled as
第二*帽
Number 2 Hat

and

軍服
Gunpuku [military uniform]

So the second cap you attached is a No. 2 hat worn with the Gunpuku.



--Guy

[Remka]

Ok thank you very much for all these clarifications !

[GHP]

Ok thank you very much for all these clarifications !