Description:

IMPERIAL JAPANESE NAVY TYPE 90 HELMET, ATTRIBUTED TO A PEARL HARBOR COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER
A fine example of a Type 90 helmet issued to Imperial Japanese Navy troops, including those of the Special Naval Landing Force. The helmet is finished with dark brown paint inside and out, and is fitted with a metal badge depicting a cherry blossom over an anchor. This badge is secured through both the front of the helmet and the liner band with a flat split pin. The liner consists of three pads of smooth, reddish-brown leather, each with two fingers. Each pad bears a kanji in black ink, including those signifying ‘leader/senior' and ‘number'. The ends of the liner band are joined with two rows of stitches, and the undersides of the liner pads are unmarked. The original chinstrap and lace to adjust the liner are both present and intact. The rear skirt is heat-stamped with a kanji indicating the size large, as well as an ‘S' within a diamond, the mark of the Kobe Seiko arsenal. The interior of the dome bears a white paint marking, the kanji for ‘thirty', an ‘X' or numeral ‘8', and the numeral ‘5'. The exterior of the dome shows a 1 in. dent beside a 3.5 in. crack, with an additional 2 in. crack at the rear rim, with expected wear overall and a few spots of oxidation, otherwise in very good condition. The helmet is accompanied by paperwork attributing ownership to Capt. ONO KANJIRO (1906-1944), who served as staff officer of the First Air Fleet aboard the aircraft carrier IJN AKAGI during the attack on Pearl Harbor, and was credited with creating the code phrase ‘Tora Tora Tora' to signify the success of the surprise attack. He later served on the staff of Vice-Admiral Chuichi Nagumo during the Battle of Saipan, during which Ono was killed in action. The documentation further states that the helmet presented here was brought back from Saipan as a souvenir by a U.S. soldier from Illinois, but was later purchased at a garage sale by a Japanese citizen and repatriated.

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March 26, 2026 10:00 AM EDT
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $999,999 $10,000
$1,000,000 $1,999,999 $50,000
$2,000,000 + $100,000