I dont know the details about how they obtained the license, but Japs got the license from Lewis and make a licensed copy of the LMG, called as type 92, here some info from the Australian War Museum:
It exist as tripod but also bipod for infantry use as well, I think it should Br 3,max br 4 weapon, I would prefeer the air one for avoid soviet copy paste
Air Cool
Water One
Burma Air captured version (trying find the infantry air one)
Specifications:
Mass
8.5 kg (19 lb)
Length
980 mm (39 in)
Barrel length
666 mm (26.2 in)
Cartridge
7.7Ă—56mmR Type 87 IJN
Caliber
7.7 mm ( .303 inch)
Action
Gas
Rate of fire
600 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity
743 m/s (2,440 ft/s)
Feed system
47 or 97-round pan magazine (would suggest last one for make the difference with soviet one)
Sights
Iron
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Ironic if Japan gets one before the allies 
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I’m no expert, but I think the gun in your pic with the guy holding it is a “true” british Lewis. The trigger guard doesn’t match with the japanese version.
In fact, the Type 92 is easy to distinguish by its enlarged trigger guard. Most likely, the machine gun in the photo was originally American, then it was captured by the Japanese and then captured back by the Americans. In addition, some of the Lewis machine guns, as far as I remember, were ordered by the Dutch East Indies, most likely the Japanese also captured some of the machine guns. Or perhaps this is a Lewis machine gun that was ordered by Japan. But calling the machine gun in the photo “Type 92” is incorrect.
In general, the Japanese had standard rifle stocks for the Type 92 (they are slightly different from those of the original Lewis guns), but apparently there were few of them, for this reason they either used a “shovel” stock, or made a homemade one like in the photo above (if you look closely, I will make a homemade stock on top of the “shovel” stock).
I would like to point out that using the aviation version is highly desirable because, in addition to the reasons you described above, the aviation sight will have relatively convenient sighting devices.
Here is another rather interesting photo, where several Type 92s were modified into light machine guns.
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Looks like I’m not the only one to think that the Lewis in the pic wasn’t a japanese one.
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its a good info, thanks for fix my mistake, with a closer view you where right, I am tired lol
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