Original Item: Only One Available. This is an excellent and clearly stamped dog tag, with translation stating that this soldier was a part of the 135th Independent Mixed Brigade Artillery Force, 3rd Battalion, [soldier] No. 18. Imperial Japanese Army dog tags were first introduced on 22 June, 1894 by Army Ordinance No.63 as “Specifications and Issuing Procedures for ID tags”, immediately before the Sino-Japanese War, which broke out only a month later.

On October 27, 1943, the final regulation said, “The purpose of an ID tag is to identify those soldiers and civilians serving the military upon death or injury, and are to be issued to officers and below upon mobilization. It is also to be issued to officers and below, who are assigned as replacements to a field unit”. From this time, even officers were now issued tags. As best we can tell, this tag reads (right to left) 砲 三 七 五 六 八 (Artillery 3 7 5 6 8), 三中 (3rd Unit), 番 一 八 (Number 1 8).

This late war zinc/aluminum tag is in wonderful condition and comes more than ready for further research and display!