The Japanese soldier of WW2 was a resourceful, resilient fighter, loyal to his Emperor and willing to undergo tremendous hardships. He would, as John Wayne once said, "just as soon die as stick a nickel in a jukebox". Unlike their naval vessels and fighter planes such as the Zero, Japanese tanks were woefully inadequate in comparison to those of the other warring nations, although tanks and armored vehicles were still an integral part of the Japanese war machine. Japanese tanks played an important role in fighting on the Chinese mainland, and in their conquest of Burma. Just like their Western counterparts, Japanese tankers wore helmets not to protect from shot and shell, but against the sharp corners found inside the confines of the tank. This Imperial Japanese Army WW2 Tanker Cloth Covered Cork Summer Tank Helmet is in Excellent Condition, with some drying, stiffening, and surface cracking to the black vinyl portions of the front and back liner, some light drying, stiffening, and bending to the end of the chinstrap, some light scattered drying and scuffing to the top corners of the chinstraps, some bending to the interior leather ear coverings, some light scattered darkening to the leather suspension, some scattered “browning” to the mesh interior crown lining, and with some light scattered age wear evident. Otherwise, the helmet is in excellent shape, with no other damage to the crisp brownish cloth covered cork construction. Most interestingly, it boasts the original IJA 5 pointed star leather insignia sewn to a matching brownish cloth backing at the front crown, sports the original “Y” shaped brown leather chinstraps with a fully functional dual metal “D” ring closure buckle, and features the original sewn ear hole eyelets, khaki cotton ear laces, netted black oilcloth front and back liner, brown leather interior ear coverings, brown leather “lappet” interior suspension with a matching khaki cotton connecting lace, and a whitish burlap-like mesh interior crown lining. A beautiful example of a very rare, original Imperial Japanese Army WW2 Tanker Cloth Covered Cork Summer Tank Helmet.