Japanese Army measurement

[kaloy]

I assumed that not all Japanese treasure sites were assessed by the Engineering Brigade especially those sites that are in the remote areas.
Any idea how the Japanese measured distances (long and short distances)? are they using the metric system of measurement? thanks

[Janner]

WWII Japanese measurements....


 Distance and Length.

Ri = 36 cho = 2,160 ken = 2.4403 miles = 3.92727 kilometers.

Ri (marine) = 1 nautical mile = 1.85319 kilometers.

Ken = 6 shaku = 60 sun = 5.965163 feet = 1.81818 meters.

Shaku = 10 sun = 100 bu = 0.994194 feet = 0.30303 meter.

Shaku (cloth measure) = 1.25 shaku.

Tan (cloth measure) = a roll of about 25 shaku.

Land measure.

Square ri = 1,296 square cho = 5.95516 square miles = 15.52345 square kilometers.

Cho (area) = 10 tan = 3,000 tsubo = 2.45065 acres = 99.17355ares.

Tsubo or bu = 3.95369 square yards = 3.30579 centiares.

Ko (Formosa) = 2,934 tsubo.

[kaloy]

the shaku-based measurement. do you have the symbol for these units? not the kanji for these characters.
in a remote place, the Japanese may use the samurai to measure short distances, say, a few meters. they may have not a measuring stick in time of war. just my idea.

[Janner]

i will let you research that...

 and do you think that every Japanese soldier had a sword...

their distances were measured by pace, as we do today...

[KIZUNA]

Yes that's right, it is by step or step length

Step = The advancement of a single foot
Step length = longitudinal distance between 2 feet

[yamideo]

My opinion on measurements depends on who is burying the Treasure. If it is the Imperial loot, The generals "pabaon" take home or the scalawags. I will think that the engineering brigade is complete with all the measuring gadgets and if they started to bury here early or the whloe year of 1942 they have all the time in the world to relax while working with all the grandeur of landscape design.

[t_hunter44]

More on Japanese Units of Measurements.

         http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_units_of_measurement

[kaloy]

My opinion on measurements depends on who is burying the Treasure. If it is the Imperial loot, The generals "pabaon" take home or the scalawags. I will think that the engineering brigade is complete with all the measuring gadgets and if they started to bury here early or the whloe year of 1942 they have all the time in the world to relax while working with all the grandeur of landscape design.

possible... most of western pangasinan loots were buried as they retreated to zambales so it is very possible that they buried the treasures in haste. any info about the 58th mixed infantry brigade of IJA? thanks

[yamideo]

My opinion on measurements depends on who is burying the Treasure. If it is the Imperial loot, The generals "pabaon" take home or the scalawags. I will think that the engineering brigade is complete with all the measuring gadgets and if they started to bury here early or the whloe year of 1942 they have all the time in the world to relax while working with all the grandeur of landscape design.
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possible... most of western pangasinan loots were buried as they retreated to zambales so it is very possible that they buried the treasures in haste. any info about the 58th mixed infantry brigade of IJA? thanks
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At the start of the war the japs were already sited in pangasinan. Zambales and Pangasinan have a very wide uninhabited shoreline with no one to bother you while a whole engineering batallion or golden lily squadron do their job. Loots did not come from eastern side but from south and western side. Nevertheless the remaining loots could be buried in haste almost everywhere on their escape route if we are talking of a different time and probably no more precise measurements needed.

[t_hunter44]

    Talking about escape routes or Retreat Routes of the Japanese, the Link below should give you an idea. A lengthy
article and very informative and the info is worth reading.

      http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/MacArthur%20Reports/MacArthur%20V2%20P2/ch15.htm

[kaloy]

any info about the escape route of IJA assigned in Southwestern Pangasinan especially in towns of Mangatarem, Aguilar,and Bugallon?
These towns are adjacent to Zambales Mountains.

[t_hunter44]

possible... most of western pangasinan loots were buried as they retreated to zambales so it is very possible that they buried the treasures in haste. any info about the 58th mixed infantry brigade of IJA? thanks

 
    Did you miss my post on the Retreat Routes of the Japanese? You have to read the Link on its entirety, no, the JIA did not retreat towards Zambales, not according to historical records. That Link that I posted had a full description of the retreat of the Japanese Imperial Army in the Battle of Luzon. Now, as far as burying some loots in Pangasinan or Zambales, they could have done that before the assault of the US Armed Forces and before the Japanese retreated farther inland towards the mountains.

[kaloy]

It's just an overview and it is not complete... I'm wondering why these towns were not mentioned in that link where in fact, Zambales Mountains is the site of many sightings of Japanese strugglers after the war.

[yamideo]

Who among the Japs would escape that way... They would probably hide there because of the abundant supply of food like wild boar, snakes, Monkeys, etc plus the water and vegetation but not escape that way since they were push back their escape would be to the eastern and northern part of luzon.

http://journeyingjames.com/2012/01/the-historic-lingayen-beach/

Seven decades ago (December 22, 1941), this same beach front has been a strategic base for the military operations of the Filipino and American allied forces. They are defending the Lingayen Gulf against the Japanese troops commanded by General Masaharu Homma. Unfortunately, this part of land was successfully occupied by the Japanese forces and Gen. MacArthur has no choice but to retreat to Bataan.

Until after 3 years (1944), with heavy naval and air attacks from the US forces, Lingayen Gulf was taken over by the American troops and on the 9th of January 1945.

About 68,000 soldiers under Gen. Walter Krueger of the U.S. 6th Army are seen marching the coast of Lingayen Gulf without any resistance from Japan- again, this beach was occupied by the Allied forces of US and Filipino soldiers. This base has become one of the supply depot during the Pacific War.

[kaloy]

ok. it's not an escape route but a defense area. in chapter xiv page 436, it was mentioned that area army will organise positions for final sustained resistance in western luzon- mountains west of tarlac. this is the zambales mountains.

old folks in the area were forced to dig trenches, foxholes in the mountains in the last quarter of 1944 and part of 1945.
the japanese hide treasures in the area is a thing that need further study. old folks were forced to carry heavy black boxes into the mountains. how many person is/are needed to carry an ammo box?