Description:

SHINYO SUICIDE BOAT PILOT'S DAGGER, DOG TAG AND CAP BADGE
A fine group of items attributed to the pilot of a Japanese ‘shinyo' (‘sea quake') suicide motorboat, including a ‘tanto', or dagger, 5.25 in. blade, 9.25 in. overall, in shirasaya, the blade inscribed with a horimono of six kanji, purportedly the poetic verse ‘Soul of Chrysanthemum in Mournful Cry'. The blade is hand-forged, showing a hamon along the cutting edge. It has not been removed from the shirasaya to examine the tang. Shows some mild spots of oxidation overall, with horizontal striations to the base of the blade on both sides. The tanto is stored in a pair of linen bags within a light wood box, also containing a white celluloid oval tag bearing the name ‘Hoshino', believed to be that of the dagger's owner, beneath the kanji ‘A4' and ‘F3'. The group also features a metal shell-type cap badge in the form of a ‘kikusui', or floating chrysanthemum, with a retaining disk and two split pins on the reverse. This symbol is commonly associated with Japanese suicide initiatives at the close of World War II, including kamikaze, kaiten and shinyo forces, but was also utilized by regular aviation units and religious and patriotic civilian organizations. The group also includes two printed ‘shinyo poems' one hand signed and with a personal seal stamp added, and one with the stamp alone, plus a third such printed poem attributed to Lt. Tatsuya Nakatani, commander of the 134th Shinyo Special Attack Squadron stationed at Kashiwajima. The group is completed by a printed copy of a force deployment roster in kanji, listing Nakatani's group at Kashiwajima, in addition to other shinyo forces. Worthy of further research!

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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