Heitai - Japanese Infantryman - Hardcover

Once, the seemingly invincible conquerors of nearly all of East Asia, today, relatively little is known of the exact weapons, uniforms, and lifestyle of World War II Japanese soldiers known as the Hetai. In this lavishly illustrated book, readers and historians alike can finally glimpse the precise personal effects of the Imperial infantryman. Thanks to a collection carefully nurtured through the decades, every aspect of the Hetai's daily existence is shown in detail with superb colour photography accompanied by informative descriptions. Items range from weapons to tropical and arctic clothing, eating implements, communications equipment, awards, helmets, insignia, visual devices, gas masks, canteens, cameras, tents and footwear. Also included are propaganda leaflets and simple reading material issued to the Hetai during long, slow periods of service on isolated and sometimes bypassed Pacific islands. By examining the exact possessions of a Japanese soldier-from dagger to toothbrush, from hand grenade to undergarments-one is able to see history come to life in a way no cinema or text alone could convey. At the same time, it is of interest to note both the differences and similarities between the Imperial fighter's equipment and that of a GI. As a companion volume to the best-selling Deutsche Soldaten, this oversized, one-of-a-kind work on the Imperial Heitai provides a unique and illuminating view of the Japanese fighting man who was once America's most fearsome enemy.