The Manchuria binoculars

In September 1931 the Japanese army occupied Manchuria, therefore a binocular to see the enemy could be useful. The Japanese Army decided to issue a binocular to all non commissioned officers. The normal going price of a prism binocular at those days was 80Yen. That was too expensive for the Japanese Army. Nippon Kogaku could get a large order but only at a price of 30 Yen. The result was the Imperial Army NCO field binocular type 93, a Galilean with a reticle for estimating distance. Reticles are not used in Galilean binoculars because there is no internal focal plane, but in the Nippon Kogaku design, a scale was etched on the inner surface of the objective, and a convex lens was glued to the upper half of the ocular, to focus on the scale. This design is unique among mass produced binoculars and is quite effective.

Nippon Kogaku build a factory in Manchuria in 1935.

(This article is part offHans Braakhuis’s book on Nikon binoculars)