This is an antique Japanese military sake cup, decorated with a pair of flags and a star. The words are "Tokyo Nakano Signal Unit 8th Company". The soldier's name Oichi is on the back. This might look pretty ordinary, but Nakano in Tokyo is also where the Japanese set up their military intelligence school during WW2, the famous Nakano school. This is probably not the Nakano school - but it's probably also not a regular signal unit attached to some operational unit for transmission of messages. I don't believe it's a coincidence that there was a big unit for the signal unit stationed at Nakano (at least 8 companies) and then have the school for training military intelligence operatives in the same place. Normal signal unit cups are not named for locations.

Condition: One short hairline at 10 o'clock

Size: 3" across