Imperial Japanese rations

Imperial Japanese rations were the field rations issued by Imperial Japan in World War II, and which reflected the culture of the Japanese military. Rations had to be stout, durable, simple, sturdy and had to survive without refrigeration for long periods of time. Typically each ration was served in the field in tin boxes, and cooked near the battlefield. The mess tin was known as a han-gou.[1]

The rations issued by the Imperial Japanese Government usually consisted of rice with barley, meat or fish, pickled or fresh vegetables, umeboshi, shoyu sauce, miso or bean paste, and green tea.[2] A typical field ration would have 1½ cups of rice, usually mixed with barley to combat nutritional deficiencies such as beriberi.[3] Often, soldiers would forage for fresh fruit to provide vitamins.[4]

Typically ¼ cup of canned tuna, or sausages, and/or squid would be cooked from either captured locations or hunting in the nearby area. Preserved foods from Japan typically were issued sparingly. Other foods issued included 1¼ cups of canned cabbage, coconut, sweet potato, burdock, lotus root, taro, bean sprouts, peaches, mandarin oranges, lychee or beans. 3 teaspoons of pickled radish (typically daikon), pickled cucumber, umeboshi, scallions and ginger added flavor to the rations. Sometimes less than an ounce of dried seaweed, was issued for making onigiri in the field, or beer and/or sake was issued to help boost morale.