Imperial Japanese Army Submachine Gunner (WWII) – Custom Printed Brick Block Figure

Character Identification: IJA Type 100 Submachine Gunner

This custom brick figure portrays an elite frontline assault trooper of the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) during World War II (The Pacific War/Second Sino-Japanese War). Because submachine guns were exceptionally rare in the Japanese military, this figure represents a soldier assigned to a specialized assault unit or elite airborne division.

Detailed Visual Breakdown (Front View)

• Headgear (Type 90 Helmet): The soldier wears a classic Type 90 steel helmet (Tetsubo) rendered in a matte brass-tan finish. The front of the helmet features a crisply defined yellow five-pointed star, the official symbol of the Imperial Japanese Army. The fabric chinstrap is realistically printed along the cheeks and jawline.

• Facial Features: He features an intense, shouting battle expression with thick eyebrows and a traditional military mustache, conveying the high-stress nature of close-quarters combat.

• Uniform & Rank: He is dressed in a Type 98 field uniform (mustard-tan/khaki color). The collar features red rank tabs with gold insignia, denoting his standing as an enlisted combat veteran or junior NCO.

• Specialized SMG Web Gear: * Unlike standard infantrymen who carried rigid leather boxes for bolt-action rifle clips, this figure features printed specialized canvas submachine gun magazine pouches across his belt line. These vertical canvas slots were designed to hold the elongated, curved magazines for automatic weapons.

  • A military canteen (Suihei) is strapped diagonally across his upper right chest for easy access during fast-paced maneuvers.

Detailed Visual Breakdown (Back View)

• Rear Harness & Equipment: The back view reveals a clean, rugged web configuration with brown canvas straps crossing over the shoulders to support the heavy weight of the front ammunition pouches.

• Traditional Personal Bag: Tied to the back of his leather combat belt is a small, traditional white cloth ration pouch or personal property bag (Imon-bukuro). It features a rope-cinched top and is authentically printed with Japanese Kanji characters reading Hōkō (“奉公” – Service/Public Duty), a common patriotic motif found on personal military gear of the era.

• Battle Weathering: The lower half of the uniform, including the boots and crisscrossed puttees (fabric leg wraps), features immersive, 360-degree mud-caked weathering, showing that this trooper has been fighting through muddy trenches or tropical terrain.

Historical Background: The Rarity of Japanese Automatic Firepower

While armies like the US, Soviet Union, and Germany mass-produced submachine guns by the millions, the Imperial Japanese Army took a very different tactical approach, making this specific soldier highly unique.

• The Type 100 Submachine Gun: This trooper is outfitted to operate the Type 100 Submachine Gun (Hyaku-shiki kikan-tanjū), the only submachine gun mass-produced by Japan during WWII. Introduced late in the conflict, only around 8,500 to 10,000 units were ever manufactured due to industrial shortages and the army’s dogmatic focus on long-range rifle marksmanship and bayonet doctrine.

• Elite Assault Tactics: Because the weapon was so scarce, Type 100 SMG gunners were never handed out to ordinary infantry units. Instead, they were exclusively issued to elite forces, such as the IJA Paratroopers (Teishin Dan), Special Naval Landing Forces (SNLF), or specialized commando units tasked with raiding Allied airfields and executing high-speed jungle ambushes.

• The “Service” Bag: The small bag on his back holding personal effects or dry rations highlights the minimalist, self-sufficient nature of the Japanese soldier, who was expected to operate deep behind enemy lines with minimal supply infrastructure.