During World War II, the Japanese military used a wide variety of swords and bayonets. In the Japanese culture, the history of the samurai warrior was held in high esteem, and the swords carried by these individuals held a place of importance in Japanese society. This led to the widespread use of these so-called samurai swords by many Japanese military officers. These interesting swords came in many different qualities, lengths and styles, and became the most popular souvenir of U.S. servicemen returning from the Pacific war. In addition to the samurai sword, the Japanese military used a number of other swords during WWII. The bayonet was another weapon held in high regard by the Japanese military. Probably no country in WWII embraced the use of the bayonet more than the Japanese.

Our Collection

The Michigan Traveling Military Museum is pleased to have a very nice selection of Japanese swords and bayonets in our collection.