Artifact Friday: Japanese Officer's Field Hat

With a new season coming in bloom, we have new exhibits coming up here at the

Arkansas Air and Military Museum. In building three, our curator, John Townsend, did a new display on the Japanese Pacific Theater of World War II. On display in that case is a Japanese officer's field hat, which we will be covering this week in our artifact Friday. A Japanese officer's field hat, also called a Ryaku-bou, was a standard cloth hat used by officers in the Japanese Imperial Army and Navy. This hat model was introduced in 1938 as part of the Type 98 uniform. This uniform hat was a lightweight alternative to the peaked service helmet and steel helmet that were given to soldiers. A defining fact of most officer hats is that they were purchased individually by officers rather than worn in the government-issued version. This was to have higher-quality materials and craftsmanship than the government-issued versions. All of these officer caps would have insignia that distinguish a Japanese Imperial Army officer from a Japanese Imperial Navy officer. Navy officers would wear an anchor device on their caps, which were sometimes blue or black. Army officer hats are identified by a five-pointed gold star, like the one we have on display today. Army hats were often khaki or olive

drab color. If there were Japanese officers in hotter climates, then we would see neck flaps, or

Bou-tare, attached to protect the officer from the sun and heat. These hats symbolized more

than rank in their time; they symbolized modernization, standardization, and adaptability instead of the previous decorative military caps. It became a practical, standardized officer hat, a utilitarian model in the Imperial Japanese Military. This hat is seen throughout movies, series, and popular depictions in World War II adaptations, as they were a popular symbolizer of the Japanese military. Come by and see the unique display we have on the Japanese Pacific theater of World War II, as you will see this officer's hat and much more World War II memorabilia that remind us of what happened.