Before and during World War Two, the Japanese used a variety of training rifles and machine guns in both formal military instruction and technical schools to teach basic military drill. These guns were used for teaching basic drill skills, and were built to use wooden-bullet blank ammunition instead of regular cartridges. This greatly simplified arranging safe facilities for the training.

The training machine guns were intended to replicate the basic handling of the Type 96 and Type 99 Nambu guns, with similar bipods, grips, stocks, sights, and top-mounted magazines. Mechanically, however, they are simple tube receivers with blowback open bolt firing mechanisms. Some, like this one, have dummy gas systems so that bayonets can be fitted as on real machine guns and so the gas adjustment procedure can be pantomimed. The parts are held together by simple screws for simplicity of production. At least six different companies made training machine guns, and they are found in a wide variety of configurations - usually without any identifying markings. This example is one of the more complex designs and also a very nice-condition example. Unfortunately, the magazine is missing (as they usually are).

WARNING: DO NOT FIRE LIVE AMMUNITION IN THESE GUNS! They are intended only for wooden-bullet blanks, and live ammunition will severely damage the gun and potentially injure the shooter. Also, be aware that these guns are considered machine guns by Federal law in the US, and are illegal if not registered under the NFA.