This new book is the first in English on this fascinating and increasingly popular military collectible. The main purpose of this book is to provide the reader with accurate information to aid in translating, determining the origin, value and history of the Japanese military Sake cups. Sake cups were commissioned by naval troops, pilots, tank crews, supply crews, infantrymen, cavalrymen, telegraph and railroad engineers with an innumerable variation of colors and designs. Each cup is a mini time capsule with the owner's name and regiment inscribed, enabling the collector to search for the background and history of the soldier who once drank a victory toast, or a farewell toast with these very cups. It is hoped the book will foster a greater understanding and appreciation for this little known field of Japanese militaria/art collecting. AUTHOR: Dan King earned his degree in Japanese language from CSULA before moving to Japan where he worked for a major Japanese company for 10 years. He returned to California and worked as a technical / language consultant on a dozen films and several dozen documentaries. He also consults for several museums and the US National Parks Service. King is unique among WWII-themed historians in that he reads, writes and speaks Japanese. To date, he has interviewed exactly 100 Japanese WWII Army and Navy veterans for their firsthand accounts. King has put into practice the theory of "go and see" so has visited dozens of Pacific War battle sites including Iwo Jima, Midway, Wake Island, Rabaul, Guadalcanal, Singapore, the Bridge of the River Kwai in Thailand, Peleliu, Corregidor Island in the Philippines etc...For the past 30 years, King has acted as a cultural bridge to help build bonds between the US and Japan. In doing so he has had the opportunity to introduce WWII veterans from both sides of the battle, and help return artifacts to both Japanese and American families who lost loved ones during the war. Illustrated
