The rifle this soldier holds belonged, in a sense, to a god. The standard Arisaka of the Imperial Japanese Army — the 6.5mm Type 38 and later 7.7mm Type 99 — was stamped on its receiver with the imperial chrysanthemum, the sixteen-petal seal of the Emperor, marking each weapon as the personal property of the sovereign the soldier served. A long, rugged, accurate bolt-action built around a lengthy bayonet, it suited an army that drilled its men endlessly in the reach and thrust of cold steel. The chrysanthemum carried such weight that when Japan surrendered, the mark was often ground off captured rifles before they were handed over — an imperial symbol not to be surrendered to the enemy. Collectors still prize the few that kept their "mum" intact.

The figure stands at ease with his Arisaka grounded, bayonet fixed, in netted helmet and tropical uniform with his haversack at his hip — a quiet moment behind the lines, the ordinary soldier between the fighting. He is the direct companion to the Soldier on Guard Duty, the same man at rest rather than on watch, and falls in with the Machine Gunner under their Sergeant. In a diorama the at-ease figure does quiet work — a soldier off duty at a jungle camp makes a scene feel lived-in rather than staged.

Model: JN073 / King & Country / 1/30 (60mm) scale / matte finish / 1 piece set