The Japanese rifle that literally tells you to hit the target

Wars & Conflicts · Published 17 October 2026 · Updated 22 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Japan's Type 64 battle rifle features a unique selector switch where the labels for Safe, Semi, and Auto spell out 'Atare'—the Japanese word for "Hit the target." Beyond its linguistic quirk, this gas-operated weapon was engineered specifically to balance power with the physical requirements of the Japanese soldier.

Developed by Howa Heavy Industries in the 1960s, the Type 64 was commissioned to replace aging American M1 Garand rifles. The Defense Agency sought a domestically produced main battle rifle, leading to several prototypes. While early designs like the R1 and R2 were based on the Armalite AR-10 and the R3 followed the M14, the final Type 64 was derived from a prototype known as the R63E.

The rifle is chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO round but utilizes a specialized cartridge with a powder charge reduced by approximately 10%. This modification was intentionally designed to mitigate excessive recoil and muzzle climb, making it more suitable for the Japanese physique. However, this specialization meant that using standard full-powered ammunition caused substantially accelerated wear on the weapon's internal components.

Technically, the Type 64 is a gas-operated, selective-fire rifle featuring a linear hammer and an external gas regulator to control its cyclic rate. It includes a rate of fire reducer for squad automatic weapon use and a hinged buttplate to improve accuracy during full-auto fire. Despite these features, it earned a reputation for being overcomplicated and occasionally unreliable in the field.

While it was superseded by the Type 89 between 1989 and 1990, the Type 64 remains in service with all branches of the Japan Self-Defense Forces and the Coast Guard. It also served as a designated marksman rifle for the Special Armed Police. Notably, its sniper variant faced issues with a single-screw scope attachment system that often caused the optics to go askew.

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