Uniforms of the Imperial Japanese Army

The officers wore a more refined version, with gold details on the sleeves,pants and collars, the kepi had more than one star to indicate their position,Other extra options were also a bicorne hat and a hussar-type uniform with embroidery.

Resembling the Imperial German Army M1842/M1856 dunkelblau uniform, the Meiji 19 1886 version tunic was the dark blue, single-breasted, had a low standing collar and no pockets.

After the Franco-Prussian War the kepi was replaced with a flat topped peaked cap and the tunic collar became higher.

The branch colour for engineers was dark brown, green for medical and light blue for transport units.

A dark blue shako (red for Imperial Guard units) with a short white plume was worn for full dress.

The ordinary duty and active service headdress was however a form of peaked cap with a narrow crown, somewhat resembling the French kepi of the period.

For ordinary duties and active service officers of all ranks wore dark blue dolmans braided in black.

A khaki summer uniform had been introduced shortly before the outbreak of war and this became general issue for front line infantry during June–August 1904.

Cavalry and artillery were subsequently issued with the new khaki uniform but some second line units continued to wear dark blue until the end of the War in September 1905.

During the winter of 1904-05 the heavier blue uniforms were again worn but often under the loose fitting summer khaki drill for camouflage.

Only the cavalry squadrons of the Imperial Guard and officers of all branches were authorized to retain their coloured uniforms for certain ceremonial and social occasions, until 1939.

The practical advantages of khaki drill over dark blue became obvious in the opening stages of the Russo-Japanese War and it became general issue for troops on active service as stocks became available.

Also the straight trousers were later replaced with pantaloons which were worn with woolen spiral wound puttees and tapes.

The single breasted tunic (98 Shiki-Gun-i) had a stand and fall collar, five buttons which ran down the front and two, or more usually, four internal pockets with scalloped flaps (depending on the manufacturer).

A collarless wool or cotton white, grey or light green under shirt (Bousho Jyu-han) was worn under the tunic.

A khaki cotton shirt with stand and fall collar and two breast pockets could be worn in warm climates, with or without the tunic.

The cap was more of a peaked sidecap and could be worn with a neck flap (Bou-tare), hooked to the bottom for sun protection, made from four cloth rectangles.

The cap was more of a peaked sidecap and could be worn with a neck flap (Bou-tare), hooked to the bottom for sun protection, made from four cloth rectangles.

// Битва Гвардий - О формах обмундирования и структуре японских сухопутных войск в 1904 г.