[seinen]

Kiipu,

Do any of your directories list a company or principle with the name "Shibata?" Both Type 38 and Type 99 short rifle trainer variants with the logo "Shibata Type" (柴田式) are known, but have remained unidentified.

Please see the attached photo.

C/

 

[Kiipu]

Do any of your directories list a company or principle with the name "Shibata?" Both Type 38 and Type 99 short rifle trainer variants with the logo "Shibata Type" (柴田式) are known, but have remained unidentified.

I enjoyed reading your recent Shibata article by the way. Alas, I have already looked into this trainer marking with no concrete results. Companies starting with Shibata are common in Japanese directories. So far, none are listed as making training rifles. However, there is a company in Nagoya called Shibata Ironworks that is listed as making ordnance 兵器. Do you by chance have any inspection marks that are associated with this maker to help narrow down the possible location?

 

[Kiipu]

長谷川銃器工業所 = Hasegawa Jūki Kōgyō-sho

Hasegawa Jūki Kōgyō-sho was created in May 1928 昭和三年五月 (another source states March 1929) and was situated in Nagoya City 名古屋市南區. The company made a variety of training weapons such as training rifles, bayonets, and light machine guns. The business and factory location were one and the same as of 1937. This company is well known and further information can be found in several English and Japanese language collector publications.
1937 factory representative: 長谷川正一.

See also the post below.
Type 38 "'Peace" type training rifle.
https://forums.gunboards.com/showth...php?1036785-Type-38-quot-Peace-quot-type-training-rifle&p=10337387#post10337387

 

[Kiipu]

平和製作所 = Heiwa Seisaku-Jo = Heiwa Manufacturing

Information on this company can be found at the link below.
Type 38 "Peace" type training rifle.
https://forums.gunboards.com/showth...php?1036785-Type-38-quot-Peace-quot-type-training-rifle&p=10337387#post10337387

It is possible this company made the training rifle depicted at the link below.
https://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?351691-Strange-Arisaka

 

[seinen]

I enjoyed reading your recent Shibata article by the way. Alas, I have already looked into this trainer marking with no concrete results. Companies starting with Shibata are common in Japanese directories. So far, none are listed as making training rifles. However, there is a company in Nagoya called Shibata Ironworks that is listed as making ordnance 兵器. Do you by chance have any inspection marks that are associated with this maker to help narrow down the possible location? Check your PM.

Great...thanks for looking tho'. As far as my notes go, there are no proofs or other identifying markings, other than the "Shibata Type" logo. Whoever made these had a contact at Kokura Army Arsenal as many of the Type 99 short rifle trainers were constructed on Kokura=proofed stocks. Of these, a great many have stock brands indicating ownership by the Kagoshima Medical School, now known as the Kagoshima Prefectural Medical Vocational School.

C/

 

[Kiipu]

It is not much, but 日夲銃砲製造株式會社 in Hamamatsu 浜松 appears to have been damaged during the 1944 Tōnankai earthquake 1944年東南海地震. This is the only online reference that comes up so far.
http://www.histeq.jp/kaishi/HE34/HE34_155_165_Aoshima.pdf

And another document about same. See frame 3, factory number 33. The link goes straight to a PDF download.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...m_id=10309&item_no=1&attribute_id=31&file_no=1&usg=AOvVaw1tKFHtJ_ecLsnutS8ouPXq

 

[Kiipu]

銃砲販賣部

Ran across this 1943 advertisement yesterday while browsing through a yearbook. It shows that even in 1943, training weapons were still in demand. This particular store was located in Ōgaki City (大垣市), Gifu Prefecture. The name of the store is a bit confusing to me at the moment so hopefully someone will come along down the road and figure it out for us.

 

[seinen]

Looks to be related to Asahi.

C/

 

[Kiipu]

Although not in the Nagoya area, attached is a short ad from Suzuki Juho, located in Tokyo. They were involved in a very limited way in the production of Type 99 Naval Special rifles.

Perhaps your records have some information about Suziki?

This ad dates from sometime after 1943-07-01. Tōkyō was renamed from 東京市 to 東京都 on this date.

1943年（昭和18年）東京市と東京府を廃止し、現在の東京都を設置（7月1日）

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/東京都の歴史

 

[Edokko]

Kiipu, that ad as Seinen says is from Asahi Firearms (アサヒ銃砲) that had a shop in Ogaki City, Gifu.
販売部 means Sales Dept.

 

[Edokko]

Interestingly, the ad has a disclaimer saying that "due to scarcity of materials to please confirm with the shop before placing orders". Steel, wood and other strategic material mostly went to the military by 1943 and private companies had a tough time with material procurement.

 

[seinen]

Thanks Takehito for your input on this topic! Great having you back with us on the forum.

C/

 

[Kiipu]

Thanks 江戸っ子! If you have a minute and do not mind a headache, care to take a crack at the name in post 15? Alas, it is uncommon enough for the dictionaries not to bother with it!
深道鐵工場

 

[Edokko]

Sure thing ! 深道looks like a surname and can be read either Fukamichi or Fukado, but probably the former with this case.

 

[Edokko]

Just to add but 深道鐵工所 means Fukamichi (or Fukado) Steel Works. The name comes from the owner rep 深道圓太郎 Fukamichi (or Fukado) Entaro

 

[Kiipu]

Many thanks 大佐江戸っ子! I updated the entry for 深道鐵工所 in post 15 above. I do update the older posts when mistakes are spotted or when new information comes in.

 

[Edokko]

Pleasure is mine !

 

[Kiipu]

Here is another enigma. A Tōkyō City 東京市麹町區 store ran ads in an Army-Navy yearbook in 1937, 1938, 1940, and 1943. The 1937 ad seems to indicate the company name is Yorozuya Sakamoto Shōten 萬屋坂本商店. However, later ads have the first two characters half size which could indicate a different meaning. The first two characters can also be read as general store! Does anyone have a clue as to the proper reading of the characters?

 

[Edokko]

Yep you nailed it. 萬屋 (Yorozuya) basically means "general store", so a translation of 萬屋坂本商店 would go something like "General store, Sakamoto Mercantile".

 

[Kiipu]

Ran across a small metal tag on buttstock of a training rifle. Looks to be an anchor within a cherry blossom on the receiver top. Just passing the information along.
https://simpsonltd.com/japanese-type-38-training-rifle-5/