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How to Identify a Japanese Army Mess Kit

The Japanese army issued a mess kit called a "han gou," which contained many of the same components of other mess kits. However, while traditional American mess kits contained a cigarette to boost troop morale, Japanese mess kits contained sake or beer. The tin boxes used for Japanese army mess kits were generally painted olive drab, like most mess kits of their day. The Japanese mess kit has been replaced by the Meal: Ready to Eat (MRE), similar to MREs American troops use. However, the contents of Japanese MREs reflect a traditional Japanese diet.

Instructions

- 1
  Inspect the container you suspect is a Japanese army mess kit. Japanese army mess kits are kidney-shaped. They were originally painted olive drab or brown.
- 2
  Remove the lid from the mess kit. Traditional Japanese army mess kits contain a cooking tray beneath the lid. The cooking tray is the same shape as the mess kit and lid, and is approximately 2 inches deep.
- 3
  Examine any packaged foods enclosed in the mess kit. The labels on packages must be written in Japanese. Japanese army mess kits contained variations of the following: green tea, pickled radishes, bean paste and shoyu sauce. Japanese soldiers often supplemented the contents of mess kits by hunting, trapping, fishing or picking fresh fruits and vegetables. Japanese soldiers also carried bags of rice, sometimes combined with barley.

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