A SUPERB AND ORIGINAL SECOND WORLD WAR JAPANESE MODEL 1897 TYPE 30 ARISAKA (JUKEN) BAYONET AND SCABBARD MANUFACTURED BY KOKURA RIKUGUN ZOHEISHO (KOKURA ARMY MINISTRY ARMORY) BETWEEN 1941 AND LATE 1942 TO FIT THE 6.5mm TYPE 30 RIFLE, THE MEIJI 38 RIFLE AND THE TYPE 96 AND 99 SQUAD LIGHT MACHINE GUNS.
This bayonet is in superb original condition and was manufactured during the Second World War by the Kokura Rikugun Zoheisho (Kokura Army Ministry Armory) between 1941 and 1942. The squared off pommel (not rounded as on earlier versions), hooked quillon, fullered blade and ‘bottle nosed’ scabbard indicate that this is a transitional-production 30th-year bayonet.
The 6.5mm Type 30 rifle entered service with the
forces of Imperial Japan in 1897. The Type 30, Juken (bayonet) that accompanied
the rifle is frequently called the Arisaka bayonet and served
Japanese forces throughout the Second World War. The original Type 30 bayonet was
well made with a bright blade and a heavily blued hilt. It was fitted
with an equally well made steel scabbard. However, as the war
progressed, and the pressures on Japanese industry increased, the quality and
finish of Japanese bayonets rapidly deteriorated. Eventually, the hooked
quillon and the blade fullers were deleted and the metalwork only partially
finished. Later versions often show crude machining marks and poor bluing
and are equipped with wooden or rubber 'emergency' scabbards. The
original contoured hilt evolved into a squared pommel with slab sided grips
while scabbards, initially well engineered in blued steel were by the wars end
being manufactured from wood, string, bamboo and poor quality alloys. This bayonet is an early example of one of the transitional-production variants,
with squared off pommel and hooked quillon fitted with the sought after ‘bottle
nosed’ scabbard.
The Japanese were the only nation to fit bayonets to infantry support weapons and the Type 30 Juken was also fitted to the squad light machine guns Type 96 and 99 as well as the Meiji 38 rifle.
The markings on this superb Type 30 are clearly visible, with the Kokura Rikugun Zoheisho (Kokura Army Ministry Armory) ‘lotus flower’ mark. The (ろ ヸ) quality acceptance marks and serial number 3944670 on the base of the pommel are still clearly visible. The handle, with its hardwood grips is in excellent condition while the fullered steel 15.75 inch blade is in similar condition, with no obvious patination to the sharpened white steel blade. The early economy production scabbard is in excellent condition retaining much of its original blued finish and is the derivative produced with a ‘bottle nosed’ finial which indicates production in 1941 or 1942 (see pictures).
Interestingly, photographs of Japanese Soldiers serving with 15th and 31st Divisions at Imphal and Kohima show many of the troops equipped with this version of wartime produced Type 30. It also appears to have been widely issued to troops of Japanese 20th and 51st Divisions fighting in New Guinea in 1943 and 1944 as many photographs from that campaign show Japanese Infantry equipped with this pattern of bayonet. During WW2, these bayonets were highly sought after by Australian, US and British troops as battlefield souvenirs and most of those that survived did so as momentoes of the conflict. For reference, I’ve attached three photographs showing the bayonet in WW2. The first shows troops of the conducting a landing drill in Cam Ranh Bay in 1941 while the second image shows Special Naval Landing Frorce Infantrymen surrendering at the War’s end. The final picture shows Japanese troops on the Burma railroad with bayonets fitted.
These bayonets are scarce in this condition as most are very prone to rust and most surviving examples are heavily marked and the scabbards damaged. The finish on this bayonet is as good as I’ve seen for an early economy-production bayonet. They were made to fit the Model 1898 Type 30 6.5mm rifle, Meiji 38 rifle, and Type 96 and 99 Light Machine Guns. Unfortunately, I have no documented provenance for this ‘museum quality’ bayonet.
This is a transitional-production 30th year bayonet in very superb ‘near mint’ condition from a very well regarded maker: steel and wood hilt with a round steel press button and internal spring, two piece hardwood grips, secured by two steel screw bolts, steel crossguard with muzzle ring and straight quillon. Single edged fullered blued steel blade.
Maker: Kokura Rikugun Zoheisho (Kokura Army Ministry Armory)
Overall Length: 510.0 mm
Blade Length: 397.0 mm
Blade Width (at guard): 23.0 mm
Scabbard: Blued steel.
Overall length of scabbard: 415.0 mm
From Australia, a ‘museum quality’ Type 30 Arisaka Juken, an example of the definitive Second World War Japanese bayonet, and in my opinion one of the best value bayonets you can purchase at the moment. It has is excellent and while it has clearly seen use, it's not been messed about with. Almost certainly a battlefield souvenir you would have to go some way to find a more original example.