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Arisaka Rifle Markings: A Field Guide to Arsenals & Series Numbers.
The markings on a Japanese military rifle tell a story At first glance, the collection of Japanese characters, symbols, numbers, and stamps found on an Arisaka rifle can seem confusing. To the experienced collector, however, these markings provide a remarkable amount of information. They can identify the arsenal or manufacturer responsible for a rifle, indicate its production series, place it within Japan's military manufacturing system, and help determine whether its feature
Patrick Phillips
11 minutes ago
The Arisaka Rifle: Type 99
Beginning in the late 1930s, the Japanese military began moving toward the adoption of a new infantry rifle chambered for the 7.7mm cartridge. The 7.7×58mm cartridge had first been introduced for the Type 92 heavy machine gun and saw combat in China during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Japanese military authorities were impressed by the terminal performance of the 7.7mm cartridge compared with the 6.5mm ammunition used by the standard Type 38 infantry rifle. Left: 6.5x50mm Ty
Patrick Phillips
7 days ago
Book Review: Oba, the Last Samurai: Saipan 1944–45
There are countless books written about the Pacific War, but relatively few tell the story from the perspective of the Japanese soldiers who fought it. Even fewer focus on what happened after the major battles were over. Don Jones’s Oba, the Last Samurai: Saipan 1944–45, first published in 1986, is one of those rare books. At 241 pages, Jones tells the remarkable story of Captain Sakae Ōba and his small group of Japanese soldiers and civilians who continued to resist American
Patrick Phillips
Aug 18
Japanese Type 90 Bugle
The military bugle was one of the most important communication tools carried by armies for centuries. Long before field telephones and portable radios became commonplace, bugle calls relayed orders across battlefields, camps, and garrisons, directing troops to wake, assemble, advance, retreat, or retire for the evening. Its simple yet unmistakable tones could be heard over the noise of combat and allowed commanders to communicate quickly with large formations. Japanese army b
Patrick Phillips
Aug 11
The Arisaka Rifle: Type 38
Among the military firearms of the twentieth century, few rifles are as consistently misunderstood as the Japanese Type 38 rifle. Overshadowed by the later Type 99 and often dismissed in the decades following the Second World War, the Type 38 has nevertheless earned a quiet reputation among collectors, historians, and shooters as one of the strongest and most reliable bolt-action service rifles ever fielded. Though it lacks the romanticism or finish of the German Mauser K98 o
Patrick Phillips
May 12
Project Ohka
Project Ohka: Recreating the Instrument Panel of the Yokosuka MXY-7 I’m pleased to announce a new long-term build: Project Ohka . This project centers on a detailed recreation of the instrument panel from the Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka Model 11, developed in 1944 for the Imperial Japanese Navy. Conceived during the final phase of the Second World War, the Ohka or “Cherry Blossom”, was a purpose-built, rocket-powered, manned anti-ship weapon intended for attacks against Allied naval
Patrick Phillips
Feb 24
WW2 Japanese Sword Rescue: Preserving a Late War Japanese Type 3 Shin Gunto Sword
The Find While visiting one of my favorite military surplus shops, I noticed a neglected Japanese sword leaning behind the counter. As it was placed on the glass case, flakes of rust and grime fell away. A plastic bag accompanied it, filled with loose parts including the original handle wrapping. From the fittings alone, I recognized it as a late war Type 3 (Rinji Seishiki) gunto. The tsuka (handle) had lost nearly all of its wrapping, and the fittings were heavily oxidized,
Patrick Phillips
Feb 18
Show of Shows: First Experience
For decades, the Show of Shows, held annually in the cavernous halls of the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, has been a fixture on the calendar of militaria collectors and dealers alike. It’s the kind of event where collectors chase their “holy grail” pieces and long-elusive items, while dealers sell their wares, reconnect with peers, and strengthen relationships with longtime patrons. Until this year, however, I had never attended a militaria show of any kind. When
Patrick Phillips
Feb 1
Patrick on the Hamilton Morris Podcast #136.
I recently joined Hamilton Morris on his podcast for a wide-ranging and interesting discussion about one of the more unsettling and relatively unknown aspects of Japan’s occupation of China: the systematic distribution of opium-laced Golden Bat cigarettes as a means of weakening local resistance and tightening imperial control. We explored how the program operated, the evidence behind it, and the long-term consequences it left on the region. Conversation also drifted into th
Patrick Phillips
Dec 9, 2025
ABOUT PATRICK
Patrick Ian Howe Phillips was born in the German city of Bremerhaven in 1989, before being raised in Wayne County, Missouri. At seventeen he joined the United States Army, later serving in Afghanistan from 2012–2013 as a combat engineer. After leaving the Army, he attended nursing school and currently works as a registered nurse. Patrick has collected militaria since childhood and for the past several years has focused his collecting on Japanese militaria, especially personal items and field equipment. As a member of several Japanese militaria collectors’ groups, he often contributes articles on a range of collecting topics. Patrick lives in Missouri with his wife, Chelsi, and daughters, Lauren and Eleanor.
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