Type 94 or Type 98 Guntō Fuchi

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Found during a survey at Camp Blanding near Starke, Clay County, Florida, this small copper ring is a fuchi that securely attached to the base of a Japanese sword hilt and played a crucial role in releasing the blade from its scabbard. The vibrant cherry blossom design unmistakably identifies it as a Type 94 or 98 Guntō, an elite sword worn by commissioned officers serving in the Imperial Japanese Army during the tumultuous years of the 1930s and 1940s. Today, Camp Blanding serves as the primary reservation for the Florida National Guard, having previously functioned as a vital infantry replacement training base during World War II (1941-1945), where it also operated as a secure detention center for German prisoners of war, Japanese, Italian, and German immigrant prisoners. This fuchi was likely part of a cherished souvenir brought back by an American soldier who bravely served in the Pacific theatre.