SOS Kempeitai Capt. Summer Tunic

[SARGE]

Gents,

 

This is an Army (IJA) Officer Type 5 Summer weight tunic for a Japanese Military Policeman (kempeitai) that I picked up at SOS. His rank is shown as a Captain by his officer style shoulder Passants made with three stars. His kempeitai association is shown by the black collar tabs sewn on his standing collar. This style of Showa era Army Officer tunic was made circa 1930.  

 

This lightweight cotton uniform is tailor made with four exterior pockets and the interior of the tunic has a half lining. There is a sword slit at the left hip which buttons closed and there is a mirror image false slit at the right hip.  The black wool branch of service collar tabs were sewn into the collar during manufacture. Also, there are small round white buttons sewn into the interior of the collar and cuffs to attach a white celluloid collar and cuffs.  A smartly tailored tunic that I was happy to find at the show.

 

Can anyone read the name sewn into the interior of the tunic?

 

[Fortunes Of War]

Sarge-

     That's a nice early looking tunic.  Sorry I can't read the kanji, maybe someone else can make it out.

[shemp h.]

That's a nice un Sarge 

[St.Lukas]

Nice private purchase officers tunic. Now you need a real armband to go with it. I trust the examples with sewn on kanji the most. Harder to find but I don’t believe that variation armband is being reproduced. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenpeitai

[SARGE]

Thanks for the kudos guys.  You never know what will show up at SOS.  

 

 

[SARGE]

Thanks to a reader on another forum the name inside my new tunic appears to be "Imae"

 

"今江
Imae
[ee-mai-ay]"