Original Item: Only One Available. Here we have a very nice example of an Imperial Japanese Army Officer’s Winter Fur cap, as used during WWII. While most picture the "Pacific War" as being fought on a bunch of Tropical Islands, Japan itself has regions of cold, and they also invaded China and were aware of the threat if Russia were to attack. They also invaded the Aleutian Island chain portion of Alaska, which is anything but tropical. This example has a gorgeous Bullion star insignia to the front.

The design of the cap is similar to winter caps used around the world, insulated with a flap going around the cap that can be folded down as needed due to colder weather. The portion over the ears is longer, so it can be tied under the chin, and there is a button and loop that hold the flaps in the upright position. There are also small ear flaps on each side, possibly used with earphones or just to aid in hearing, which have loops on them to attach to buttons for both the open and closed positions.

This is a cap for an officer, so unlike the enlisted version, the fur in the hat is real, and not faux. This is due to the fact that officers often had to procure their own equipment, so this is a high quality private-purchase hat. This is further supported by the high quality bullion star to the front. As this is a private purchase hat, there are no markings or date inside.

Condition of the hat is great, but there are areas where the top layer of fur has broken away revealing the stuffed fur interior. There is also some wear to the exterior, but all buttons appear present. This is certainly a hat that saw heavy field use.

A great chance to pick up a hard to find Imperial Japanese Army Officer’s Winter cap, ready to display!

The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA "Army of the Greater Japanese Empire") was the official ground-based armed force of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945. It was controlled by the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office and the Ministry of the Army, both of which were nominally subordinate to the Emperor of Japan as supreme commander of the army and the navy. Later an Inspectorate General of Aviation became the third agency with oversight of the army. During wartime or national emergencies, the nominal command functions of the emperor would be centralized in an Imperial General Headquarters (IGHQ), an ad-hoc body consisting of the chief and vice chief of the Army General Staff, the Minister of the Army, the chief and vice chief of the Naval General Staff, the Inspector General of Aviation, and the Inspector General of Military Training.