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was a Japanese firearms designer and career officer in the
Imperial Japanese Army The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA; , ''Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun'', "Army of the Greater Japanese Empire") was the principal ground force of the Empire of Japan from 1871 to 1945. It played a central role in Japan’s rapid modernization during th ...
. He founded the Nambu Arms Manufacturing Company, a major manufacturer of Japanese military
firearms A firearm is any type of gun that uses an explosive charge and is designed to be readily carried and operated by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see legal definitions). The first firearms originated ...
during the period. He was awarded the
Order of the Sacred Treasure The is a Japanese Order (distinction), order, established on 4 January 1888 by Emperor Meiji as the Order of Meiji. Originally awarded in eight classes (from 8th to 1st, in ascending order of importance), since 2003 it has been awarded in six c ...
(2nd class) in 1914. Because of his prolific firearms designs, Nambu has been described as the "
John Browning John Moses Browning (January 23, 1855 – November 26, 1926) was an American firearm designer who developed many varieties of military and civilian firearms, cartridges, and gun mechanisms, many of which are still in use around the world. He ...
of Japan."


Biography

Nambu was born as the younger son to a former ''
samurai The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...
'' retainer of the Nabeshima clan, in Saga domain in 1869 (present-day
Saga prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. Saga Prefecture has a population of roughly 780,000 and has a geographic area of . Saga Prefecture borders Fukuoka Prefecture to the northeast and Nagasaki Prefect ...
). His mother died soon after he was born, and as his father had financial difficulties, he was sent out to be raised by a local merchant. Through hard work and determination, he secured a place in the 2nd class of the
Imperial Japanese Army Academy The was the principal officer's training school for the Imperial Japanese Army. The programme consisted of a junior course for graduates of local army cadet schools and for those who had completed four years of middle school, and a senior course f ...
at the age of 20. At age 23, he was commissioned a
lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...
of
artillery Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...
. In 1897, Nambu was assigned to Tokyo Arsenal, where he was assigned to work under noted weapons designer Nariakira Arisaka on the Type 30 rifle project followed by the Type 26 revolver. He was then promoted to
major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...
and ordered to develop a semi automatic pistol for the Japanese military. This design, an 8mm pistol, was the earliest version of the famed
Nambu pistol are a series of semi-automatic pistols produced by the Japanese company Koishikawa Arsenal, later known as the Koishikawa Arsenal, Tokyo Artillery Arsenal.Hogg, Ian, ''Pistols of the World 4th Edition'' (2004) p. 191. The series has three variant ...
, and was completed in 1902. Nambu built a smaller and lighter 7mm version in 1907. The design was praised by then Army Minister Terauchi Masatake, but the Japanese army did not place it into production due to production costs. The larger version was eventually adopted by the
Imperial Japanese Navy The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, Potsdam Declaration, when it was dissolved followin ...
's Special Naval Landing Forces, and the smaller version was sold commercially to private customers. The Type 14 pistol was an improved version of the 1902 version, similar in dimensions and performance. It was issued to non-commissioned officers, while commissioned officers were expected to purchase their own side arms; it became the most common sidearm in use. Most of the pistols were produced by the Tokyo Arsenal with a smaller number manufactured by the Tokio Gasu Denky. Production of Type 14s lasted until the end of World War II in 1945. Total production numbers are estimated at approximately 200,000 for all variants. During Nambu's tour at the Army Rifle Manufacturing Plant (later renamed the
Kokura Arsenal is an ancient castle town and the center of modern Kitakyushu, Japan. Kokura is also the name of the penultimate station on the southbound San'yō Shinkansen line, which is owned by JR West , also referred to as , is one of the Japan ...
) he developed the
Type 3 Heavy Machine Gun , also known as the Taishō 14 machine gun, was a Japanese air-cooled heavy machine gun. The Type 3 heavy machine gun was in a long-line of Japanese Hotchkiss machine gun variants that the Imperial Japanese Army would utilize from 1901 to 1945. H ...
in 1914 and the Type 11 light machine gun in 1922. In 1922, Nambu was promoted to
lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...
and placed in charge of the Tokyo Artillery Arsenal. He reorganized the army arsenal system in 1923 and was named Commander of the Army Explosives Arsenal and Army Institute of Scientific research. In 1924, he retired from active military service, Nambu founded the Nambu Arms Manufacturing Company in
Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
in 1927, with financial backing from the Okura ''
zaibatsu is a Japanese language, Japanese term referring to industrial and financial vertical integration, vertically integrated business conglomerate (company), conglomerates in the Empire of Japan, whose influence and size allowed control over signifi ...
'' . Nambu received many contracts from both the Japanese army and navy for side arms, light machine guns and heavy machine guns, and also for testing and evaluation of many foreign designs. This included the
Type 92 Heavy Machine Gun is a Japanese heavy machine gun, related to the Hotchkiss machine gun series. It entered service in 1932 and was the standard Japanese heavy machine gun used during World War II. The Type 92 was similar in design to the earlier Type 3 heavy mach ...
, Type 94 8 mm Pistol, Type II machine pistol, Type 100 submachine gun and licensed production of the Type 99 light machine gun.Hogg. Greenhill Military Small Arms Databook. Pg.265 At the end of World War II, Nambu announced that his company would cease all weapons production; however, his facilities were sequestered under the American occupation authorities and continued to produce equipment (under the name ''Shin-Chuō Industries'') for the police and subsequently for the post-war Japanese National Safety Forces, the predecessor to the current Japanese Self-Defense Force. Nambu died in May 1949, and his company was absorbed into the Japanese precision equipment manufacturer Minebea Co.


Weapons

* Types A, B, and 14 Nambu pistol * Type 94 Nambu pistol * Experimental model 1 submachine gun *
Experimental model 2 submachine gun The was a pre–World War II Japanese experimental submachine gun chambered in the 8mm Nambu round. History The Type 2 model was a development from the earlier Type 1 submachine gun, designed in response to criticisms of the former’s awkwa ...
* Nambu-type training light machine gun * Type 100 submachine gun *
Type 3 heavy machine gun , also known as the Taishō 14 machine gun, was a Japanese air-cooled heavy machine gun. The Type 3 heavy machine gun was in a long-line of Japanese Hotchkiss machine gun variants that the Imperial Japanese Army would utilize from 1901 to 1945. H ...
*
Type 92 heavy machine gun is a Japanese heavy machine gun, related to the Hotchkiss machine gun series. It entered service in 1932 and was the standard Japanese heavy machine gun used during World War II. The Type 92 was similar in design to the earlier Type 3 heavy mach ...
* Type 11 light machine gun *
Type 96 light machine gun The was a light machine gun used by the Imperial Japanese Army in the interwar period and in World War II. It was first introduced in 1936, and fires the 6.5×50mm Arisaka from 30-round top-mounted magazines. A combination of unimpressive ballis ...
* Type 97 light machine gun * Type 99 light machine gun * Type 38 Arisaka rifle * Type 44 Arisaka carbine * Type 99 Arisaka rifle


References

*Bishop, Chris (eds) ''The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II''. Barnes & Nobel. 1998. *Chant, Chris, Small Arms of World War II. Zenith Press 2002. *Hogg, Ian. Greenhill Military Small Arms Databook. Greenhill Books. 1999. *Nila, Gary, Japanese Naval Aviation Uniforms and Equipment 1937-45 (Elite) Osprey Publishing 2002,


Notes


External links


Dragons of Fire.com


{{DEFAULTSORT:Nambu, Kijiro Firearm designers People from Saga Prefecture 1869 births 1949 deaths Japanese generals Postwar Japan