Sake cup from estate sale trash

[ValhallaMilitaria]

Just picked this up from the free pile at a local estate sale, any thoughts on what it is for? branch? I'd be curious to learn, I can't find another one just like it anywhere.
Thanks as always for any help.
Eric

[GHP]

Cool save!!!
歩兵第三十聯隊記念
Hohei Dai San-jū Rentai Kinen
Infanty 30th Regiment Commemorative

Bottom:
中島
Nakajima
[Soldier's surname]


-- Guy

[ValhallaMilitaria]

Thanks Guy, I couldn't believe it when I pulled it out of that box. Usually when I find one item there are more but this was it for that house.
Thank you so much for your help,
Eric

[GeorgeP]

Nice find, and you can't beat free! What I find interesting about finding these cups in the US is you can't automatically default to the notion that they are vet. bring backs (I suppose you could say that now about a lot of Japanese militaria these days). I spoke to a collector friend a while back about the interest of sake cups over the decades and he told me that there was a time when "little old ladies" in N. America would buy them directly out of Japan. He himself lived in Japan at the time of this heightened interest and sold dozens of sake cups to these "sake cup enthusiasts". Anecdotal, I know, but interesting, regardless.

Tom

[ValhallaMilitaria]

Hi Tom, I think you are right, No one in the home was a vet (I asked) and one of the people there said that is Wife picked it up at a tag sale back in the 80's. There was also a civil war musket that the owner had taken a wire wheel to to 'shine it up' as he said. Ruined now.
Anyway,
Thanks for the help,
Eric