Type: Authentic World War II Imperial Japanese Army Armband.

Provenance: This piece was part of a military collection sold by a reputable sale house. The remainder of the collection was attached to the Battle of Okinawa, Lt Herbert Allen and the USS Tyrell.

Insignia: Features a centrally-mounted brass/copper-based medallion

Construction: Period-correct multi-piece natural fiber (cotton/linen) construction with a vertical red and white (now aged to tan) stripe pattern.

It has been difficult to find exact matches for this piece but what I have found indicates the following. I have also sent pictures to the Imperial War Museum in the UK to see if I can find more on this:

• The Medallion:The brass medallion features the character"検" (Ken), which is short forKensa(inspection/examination). In this specific military context, it signifies the wearer was anInspectororExaminerwithin the Military Police.
• The Armband:This is a classic two-piece "Red and White" design used by the IJA. These were typically made of a natural fiber cotton or hemp material.
• The "Ken" (憲) vs "Ken" (検):While standard Kempeitai armbands often have the full character憲(Ken, meaning "law" or "constitution"), those specifically assigned to inspection duties—such as at checkpoints, ports, or for health and customs—wore this circular brass検tag.