Jimbocho Gunsoten: For all your Imperial Army memorabilia needs

Back in the 1940s, there was a horrible, devastating global conflagration called World War II. You may have heard of it. A lot of bad stuff happened, to put it mildly.

Yet not everyone in Japan is ready to close the book on the nation's highly-miiltaristic Imperial era. Take, for example, the proprietor and customer base of the brand new Jimbocho Gunsoten ("gunso" means "military accouterments."). Jimbocho Gunsoten looks like it's one of the premier place to buy collectibles from the Imperial Army, including uniforms, hats, insignia, swords and battle flags. There also seem to be authentic propaganda posters from a time when Japan saw itself as 'liberating' Asia from the Europeans.

Is this store for right-wing sympathisers who hope to rehabilitate the image of wartime Japan? Maybe there is some of that. There are also a lot of politically neutral otaku who collect the stuff. Regardless it's definitely niche. The average Tokyoite cares about this Showa Japanese military culture as much as they care about Akkadian generals.

We don't exactly endorse the implicit historical revisionism in a store like this, but it's worth noting that military merchandise stores do exist in the nooks and crannies of Tokyo's commercial wonderland, just in case you need props for a movie about the war. Yes, James Cameron, we are talking to you.

Jimbocho Gunsoten: Kanda Nishikicho 3-16-13, Chiyoda-ku, tel. 03 5577 6845, www.jimboucho-gunsouten.com

(Hat tip to Brad Douglas)