Captured Japanese rations—particularly certain types of canned foods which were familiar items in American grocery stores prior to the war—may furnish welcome variety to U.S. troops as auxiliary rations or for emergency use. (This statement of course presupposes that the use of such captured foods has been approved by competent and proper authorities.)

Common Japanese Emergency Rations.

Some enemy foods, such as canned crabmeat, salmon, tuna, mandarin orange sections, canned pineapple and other fruits, rice, tea, and sugar, are familiar to American tastes. These items can easily be used provided that they are in good condition. Certain other Japanese foods, including dried fish, edible seaweed, pickled radishes, and pre-cooked rice flour, are strange to most American tastes. But, if rations are short, these items may be eaten and will supply nourishment.

The Japanese soldier in adequately supplied garrisons, eating perhaps twice as well as his family at home, does not live on rice alone, although this staple, supplemented with fish and a few vegetables, is his most important food. The average Japanese family eats very little meat. The daily diet revolves around the basic rice-fish-vegetable combination, and other foods are used principally for flavoring and seasoning, or as savories and relishes.

To this basic diet, the Japanese armed forces have added some meat, fruits, extra vegetables¹, and sweets. But, as at home in Japan, these extras are used chiefly to flavor and vary the rice-and-fish staple, and do not provide a complete change of ration from day to day. It is worth noting, too, that Japanese soldiers, even in rear echelons, do not have anything comparable to the American company or squadron mess; each Japanese soldier prepares and cooks his own food, usually cooking enough at one time for a 24-hour supply.

The following foods are included in Japanese field rations:

Canned meat—roast beef, corned beef, beef-and-vegetable mixture, pork-and-vegetable mixture.

Canned fish—salmon, tuna, sardines, bonito, mackerel. (Also clams.)

Canned vegetables (in the meat mixtures)—beans, bean sprouts, peas, bamboo sprouts, spinach, water chestnuts. (Also rice, in compressed cakes or cooked with red beans.)

Canned fruit—cherries, plums, peaches, pineapple, pears, mandarin orange sections.

Canned eggs—hardboiled (in one Naval Air Force emergency ration.)

Dehydrated vegetables—beans, peas, potatoes, cabbage, carrots, onions, radishes, mushrooms, burdock, edible seaweed, taro root (a starchy tuber, from which Hawaiians make their poi).

Dehydrated fish—bonito (salt-water fish of the mackerel family).

Condiments, preserves—soy sauce (powdered or liquid), bean paste, dried plum cakes, pickled giant radishes, butter, jellies.

Staples—rice (polished or unpolished), granulated sugar, salt. Some rations contain biscuits or crackers.

Beverages—tea, milk (condensed or powdered), cider, whisky.

Sweets—caramels, hard candies, chocolate.

Most of these foods are familiar to Americans. A number of the canned foods, such as crabmeat, tuna and salmon, and the mandarin oranges, formerly were widely stocked by American grocers. The liquid soy-bean sauce is similar to that found in all U.S. Chinese restaurants, although it is saltier and "hotter." The bamboo and bean sprouts also are well known. The dehydrated vegetables can be reconstituted by American procedures, although the soaking time may be different and a certain amount of experimenting may be necessary. Rice, polished (white) or unpolished (brown), may be used in regular U.S. Army recipes. Cooked, this rice may be added to American B-ration meat items. The canned meat, fish, vegetables, and fruits may be used in the customary ways.

Standard labeling system used on the Compressed Emergency Ration package. Note location of title of ration and date stamp.

Standard labeling system used on front of package of Rice Flour and Side-dish Ration. Note location of title of ration and date.

Standard directions on rear of package of Rice Flour and Side-dish Ration.

Standard labeling on front of Side-dish package of Rice Flour and Side-dish Ration. Note location of title of ration and date.

METHODS OF PACKAGING

All canned foods, whether in large or small cans, are encased in wooden boxes bound with grass rope.

Rice usually is packed in large burlap or straw bags. Flour, sugar, and salt are packed the same way. Rice, and occasionally barley and wheat, also are packed in cans in the form of compressed cakes (sometimes cooked and mixed with red beans).

The liquid soy sauce is packed in wooden barrels; the powdered form, in gallon cans.

Dehydrated vegetables are shipped in large, rectangular cans.

COMBAT RATIONS

The Japanese soldier going into combat usually carries rice and bags of small, hard biscuits. Whenever possible, canned meat is carried. There are also two types of especially packaged rations. One, wrapped in brown crepe paper, is a small package, 3 3/4 by 3 1/2 by 1 3/4 inches, and weighs about 9 ounces. Each package equals a Japanese meal, and consists of several rectangular cakes of compressed wheat or barley, four cakes of sugar, three brown cakes of dried fish, and one or more pink cakes of very salty dried plums. The sugar and the grain cakes are of good quality. The cakes may be eaten as they are, or, with the addition of water, made into a hot breakfast cereal.

The second type of combat ration is packed in a transparent wrapper tied at both ends with a string. This wrapper contains two paper sacks, each with identical contents: two cakes of compressed fish-and-vegetable mixture and a sack of finely milled pre-cooked rice flour. Japanese soldiers mix the flour with water to make a dough, and eat it cold. This is not palatable to Americans, but may be used in an emergency.

Figure 11. Explanation of Japanese method of writing dates, with ideographs for 1941 through 1944. (In the box giving ideographs for these four years, the ideograph meaning "year" has not been included.)

SPECIAL RATIONS

Several types of Japanese emergency aviation rations have been found. Examples are two for the Naval Air Force. One comprises dried fish (bonito), biscuits, pickled plum, peas, hard candy, caramels, and—last but not least—a cardboard tube containing chocolate and whisky.

Another naval air ration includes rice cakes, hard-boiled eggs, canned meat-and-vegetables, canned pineapple, cider, chocolate, and whisky.

Japanese hospital and canteen foods may be captured, and these are more likely to satisfy American palates. Among the foods are canned fruits, canned meat and fish, condensed and powdered milk, butter, jellies, and candy.

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

It is most important that a U.S. medical officer inspect and approve all captured enemy food supplies before they are eaten by American personnel. Under emergency conditions, if food supplies are short or if competent medical personnel is not available to inspect the food, the exact identification of a food item may not be important. However, it is important to know whether food is safe to eat. In such circumstances, the canned goods are safest, provided that (1) the can does not bulge, (2) the can is not seriously rusted, and (3) the contents do not yield any kind of questionable odor.

The Quartermaster General advises the fullest use of captured enemy food, after it has been inspected and approved by competent personnel. Packaged foods should not be opened—or opened, partially used, and then discarded—except when necessary. The principal thought in using captured foods should be to ease our own supply problem to some extent. To waste supplies—even enemy supplies—is foolhardy.

¹ At established garrisons in occupied territories the Japanese have been cultivating gardens to supply fresh vegetables.