Original Items: Only One Set of 5 Available. Sake, a Japanese alcoholic beverage made from fermented rice, plays a central role in traditional culture and even religion. The Imperial Japanese military harnessed this tradition to validate ceremonies ranging from the celebration of victory to a final toast for kamikaze pilots about to embark on suicide missions. According to Dan King, author of Japanese Military Sake Cups 1894-1945, some sake cups (sakazuki) were officially commissioned by the military for various purposes, but most often they were commissioned by the men or officers themselves to commemorate various milestones from enlistment to return from overseas assignment to completion of military service. Most military sake cups date from the 1920s and 1930s when Japan was fighting in China, but some go back as far as the Russo-Japanese war in 1894-95.

The Cups In This Lot:
- Imperial Japanese Navy: This is a lovely cup which features an anchor crossed with a Rising Sun Flag and Cherry Blossoms in the center.

- Imperial Japanese Army Infantry: Lovely bayoneted rifle crossed with a Rising Sun flag topped with a 5 pointed star.

- Imperial Japanese Army: Lovely crossed Rising Sun Flag with Japan Flag.

- Unidentified: The cup features faded lettering with a flower as well as a 5 pointed star.

- Badge of Order of the Rising Sun: Features the lovely badge in the center. The Order of the Rising Sun (旭日章, Kyokujitsu-shō) is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese government, created on 10 April 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight from the rising sun. The design of the Rising Sun symbolizes energy as powerful as the rising sun in parallel with the "rising sun" concept of Japan ("Land of the Rising Sun").

All cups come ready for further research and display!