Tin Tank Toy- Japanese Prewar For Sale

Tin Tank Toy- Japanese Prewar For Sale

This quite an unusual survivor from Japan.  It is a prewar Japanese tin tank circa 1935.  It is lithographed with potentially hand painted accents.

The toy works, and the tin / metal treads propelle the toy forward.

The extra side turrets are a nod to the wild World War I era tanks that had boundless new designs.  Tank designs weren’t standardized, and this toy reflects the growing field of propelled guns.

Our Japanese prewar tank appears all original. The tank is about 8 inches long.

Reading the TakaraTomy company history online, we note that this toy called “Tank” was produced around 1935 at the Okegawa Factory by TomyTakara.  The factory ceased most, if not all, production in 1938 after the Munitions Industries Mobilization Act.   -1939, World War II broke out.