Antique Imperial Japanese Army 69th Infantry Regiment Discharge Sake Bottle For Sale

DescriptionThe Day a Japanese Soldier Returned to Civilian Life.This antique Japanese military sake bottle commemorates discharge from the Imperial Japanese Army’s 69th Infantry Regiment.Its elegant, understated design features a pale gray-blue glaze, fine red bands, gold lettering, the Japanese national flag, the Rising Sun military flag, and a five-pointed star associated with the Imperial Japanese Army.The inscriptions read:歩兵第六十九聯隊 — 69th Infantry Regiment除隊記念 — Commemoration of Military DischargeThe base bears an additional gold inscription, 冠者 (Kanja). Its meaning and whether it identifies a maker, retailer, or individual have not been established.Unlike a souvenir celebrating a military victory, this bottle commemorates a deeply personal milestone: the completion of military service.From Toyama to the South Pacific: The History of the 69th Infantry RegimentThe Imperial Japanese Army’s 69th Infantry Regiment was originally established in Toyama, Japan, in 1908.Its history reflects the dramatic changes experienced by Japan during the first half of the 20th century.The regiment participated in the Siberian Intervention following World War I and was disbanded during the military reductions of 1925.The designation was subsequently revived during Japan’s expanding military operations in China.During World War II, the regiment served with the 52nd Division and was deployed to Truk (now Chuuk), an important Japanese military stronghold in the Caroline Islands.In February 1944, American carrier aircraft devastated Japanese naval and air installations at Truk during Operation Hailstone.The regiment remained in the area and reached the end of the war in August 1945.A Souvenir from an Earlier Chapter?The bottle’s restrained decoration and traditional ceramic style suggest that it may date from the 1910s or 1920s, potentially from the regiment’s original period of service.This is a stylistic impression rather than a confirmed manufacturing date.If the bottle does belong to that earlier period, it would represent a very different chapter of the regiment’s history, long before its final wartime deployment to the South Pacific.A Soldier’s Return HomeFor a Japanese soldier of that era, completing military service meant returning to family, work, and civilian life.Perhaps this bottle was kept as a reminder of comrades, military training, and the years spent away from home.We do not know who originally owned it.But the words Commemoration of Military Discharge still tell us what this object was intended to remember.ConditionThis antique ceramic bottle shows age-related wear, surface marks, and fine glaze crazing.There is visible wear around the mouth of the bottle. Please examine the photographs carefully for its exact condition.The precise date of manufacture, original ownership, and meaning of the base inscription have not been verified.Military history is not only about the day a soldier went to war. Sometimes, it is about the day he came home.Own a Piece of History.Shipping

FedEx or Japan Post

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