🎎 Vintage Japanese Elementary Schoolboy Cap – Early 20th Century (Nara) – Japan Antique Roadshow

🎎 This rare and evocative cap likely belonged to a young schoolboy in Nara, Japan, sometime during the Taishō or early Shōwa period. The antique dealer I purchased it from recognized the design and pinpointed not only the era but the specific school where this uniform once saw daily use—his confidence clear, even if I regretfully can’t recall the exact name he shared.

The cap is constructed in the pseudo-military style inspired by Prussian cadet uniforms, adopted in Japan beginning in the Meiji era as part of national education reforms. Meant to instill discipline and unity, these uniforms became standard for boys in both urban and rural settings. This cap, likely made from wool or a wool blend, features a shallow crown, flat brim, and a distinctive brass school emblem still firmly affixed to the front.

Inside, there’s a faded cloth name tag, the writing now largely lost to time. Under the right light, you might imagine the soft stroke of a character emerging—perhaps a hiragana symbol, or just the ghost of what once was. It’s a quietly moving detail: a trace of childhood now nearly vanished, like so many echoes of that era.

Though timeworn, the cap remains structurally sound and full of character. It’s not recommended for wear, but makes for an outstanding display piece—a tangible fragment of early 20th-century Japanese school life, with all its ceremony and charm.

📏 Approximate dimensions
• Weight: 50 g
• Diameter (laid flat): ~17 cm
• Brim: ~16 cm across, extends ~6.5 cm
• Materials: Likely wool or wool-blend with brass pin
• Condition: Worn but intact; fading and softening consistent with age; emblem secure

Curated in Shizuoka City by Kurt Bell, this humble school cap offers a quiet, compelling connection to a bygone era—when even the smallest details, like a stitched name or a brass pin, told a boy’s story.

➡️ https://a.co/d/6SORY8N Get your copy of Going Alone at this link (the hardcover edition is recommended) 🤠🏜️☀️
🌐 Website: https://goingalone.org
📧 Email: dinnerbytheriver@gmail.com
🌀 Discord: https://discord.gg/srfDtMN5jA
👍 Support my endeavors on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/softypapa

Be safe… But not too safe

#KurtBell #GoingAlone #JapanAntiqueRoadshow #VintageJapan #JapaneseSchoolCap #TaishoEra #ShowaEra #JapaneseUniforms #Softypapa #NaraHistory #AntiqueJapan