Translation Requests

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grimnar
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Re: Translation Requests

#1321

Post by grimnar » 06 Aug 2014, 15:50

Hello Hisashi-san,
Could you please tell me the details of this award document?
I believe I have translated the date correctly, Showa 15(1940), April 29th. I am slowly learning what to look for. :D

I believe a unit stamp is on the reverse of the document too.

Many thanks in advance.

Image

Image

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hisashi
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Re: Translation Requests

#1322

Post by hisashi » 06 Aug 2014, 16:40

松田寅吉(Matsuda Torakichi), army logistics 1st private, was awarded the 8th grade white paulownia leaves (a common award for ranks) and wartime bonus 280 yen for Marco Polo Bridge Incident. Logistics soldiers included porters, thought very little of, but he was a standard 1st private. Typically he had some business on wagons and horses in a column.

This blog shows an entry on a relative of owner's. He received the same award (pic left, white-red ribbon) on the same day, 29 Apr 1940. Note that the day was the birthday of Emperor Hirohito.
http://blog.livedoor.jp/yasu_65/archives/883790.html

The stamp says '240th [recommendation], p.330 of the record'. They must deal with tremendous number of documents for awardong so many soldiers involved in Marco Polo Bridge Incident. Unfortunately no hint was given for the unit he belonged to.


grimnar
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Re: Translation Requests

#1323

Post by grimnar » 17 Aug 2014, 15:45

Many many thanks Hisashi-san.

guadalcanal42
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Re: Translation Requests

#1324

Post by guadalcanal42 » 20 Aug 2014, 03:04

Hello, wanted to know if there was any way to know where the 1st special construction corps was. Its written on this flag (if my translating skills are checking out). Also I think it says Sasebo Dining Hall? Any idea where these guys were?
japanese sasebo flag.jpg
here it is
japanese sasebo flag.jpg (40.07 KiB) Viewed 650 times

guadalcanal42
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Re: Translation Requests

#1325

Post by guadalcanal42 » 20 Aug 2014, 03:51

I think this was made for the us 1st naval construction battalion stationed in sasebo japan after the war

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hisashi
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Re: Translation Requests

#1326

Post by hisashi » 20 Aug 2014, 15:49

I am afraid to say it seems fake made up after the war. 進駐軍 meant the allied occupation force. 進駐 was used for the occupation of French Indochina(Vietnum) as a 'neutral' word that does not sound aggressive, but in turn Japaneses used this term for McArthur's army as 進駐軍, disliking miserable sound of standard Japanese word 占領軍 (occupation army). It cannot be made before Aug 1945. Moreover, the top part of 歳 looks 山, but correctly it must be 止. Japaneses never make such an error. The navy used the word 設営 instead of 建設 for their construction units.

teegee
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Re: Translation Requests

#1327

Post by teegee » 21 Aug 2014, 01:25

Can I please get a translation for these names, I believe. Thank you. TG
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hisashi
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Re: Translation Requests

#1328

Post by hisashi » 21 Aug 2014, 08:57

岩吉 操(Iwayoshi Misao) a full name of seemingly woman (rarely a man is named misao)
政敏 Masatoshi given name for a man
清三郎 Seizaburo or Kiyosaburo given name for a man
ヨシエ Yoshie given name for a woman
直也 Naoya given name for a man

teegee
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Re: Translation Requests

#1329

Post by teegee » 21 Aug 2014, 23:34

hisashi san - domo arigato !

A question for you. Why are the characters in the images that I posted, appear to be somewhat different from the formal printed characters which you have posted ? Is this because my images are written in a form of cursive ? Or maybe because they are written in an older form of nihon go ?

Thank you,
TG

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hisashi
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Re: Translation Requests

#1330

Post by hisashi » 22 Aug 2014, 01:28

Rigorously it's not cursive but Japaneses more or less simplify characters in writing. Hand writing is not a free art but we have easy-to-write basic pattern, restricted to the function of our right hand and a brush. (Lefty's writing is often harder to read.)
For example...
http://kakijun.jp/page/0581200.html
http://kakijun.jp/page/1626200.html
We are strictly trained to memorize the order of placing parts on each kanji. Seeing the order of pen move we assume what character the writer wanted to place.

teegee
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Re: Translation Requests

#1331

Post by teegee » 23 Aug 2014, 00:40

Thank you for the explanation hisashi san.

TG

DoubleEnvelopment
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Re: Translation Requests

#1332

Post by DoubleEnvelopment » 27 Aug 2014, 22:23

Hello Everyone,

I came here on the recommendation of a friend. I just added this flag to my Hinomaru Yosegaki collection, I was wondering if anyone can translate his name(It's at the top I think) or any other useful information? I can see the Bu un cho kyu in the top right corner. I will post a close up photograph of each side in the next reply. Thank you very much in advance everyone.

-Matt
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DoubleEnvelopment
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Re: Translation Requests

#1333

Post by DoubleEnvelopment » 27 Aug 2014, 22:26

Here is a photograph of each side of the Flag, please lmk if larger photographs will help in the translation. The flag is silk with a silk-screened Sun and and leather reinforcements.
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right.jpg
left.jpg

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hisashi
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Re: Translation Requests

#1334

Post by hisashi » 28 Aug 2014, 06:27

The soldier presented this flag reads 黒柳明好 Kuroyanagi Akiyoshi.

On the right end I read
神道大教丸山教
主管 早川作二

Once in the beginning days of new government in Meiji Restoration, they tried to organize all Buddhism priests and Shinto priests for persuading people to respect the Emperor, to obey to the government and to live orderly, paying salaries to priests. It was a very bad idea and all kind of religious dispute among churchmen was invoked. Moreover, newly established constitution said the state should maintain freedom of faith. So the government moved to establish Kokka Shinto. All shrines and its priests were paid money. They were no more religionists, so funeral on Shinto tradition by shrine staffs was prohibited. It was the easiest way to maintain old, glorious Shinto shrines with staffs so they gave a concession.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Shinto
But many shinto leaders wanted to keep religious aspect of Shinto. Several Shinto groups won the recognition as religious corporations. Smaller sects survived as a branch of a larger Shinto sect.
神道大教丸山教 meant one of Shinto sect Maruyama-Kyo, then a part of larger sect Shinto Taikyo.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinto_Taikyo
主管 shukan was a common position name in Shinto sects, meaning the leader of a regional group. Imagine a clergyman (and the clergyman) of a local parish.
早川作二 Hayakawa Sakuji was his name.
Sharing their faith (in general sect Shintos required people to live on their commandments, unlike most Japaneses eating cakes in Christmas and eating rice cake in the New Year and just demanding good luck in Shinto shrines), the people in this Shinto parish seemed ordinary people. I read in the left half 一人十殺 (every soldier must kill ten enemy), common but aggressive message. 帰一 (all things and livings come from the one and goes back to the one) had some religious flavor.

DoubleEnvelopment
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Re: Translation Requests

#1335

Post by DoubleEnvelopment » 29 Aug 2014, 11:45

Thank You very much Hisashi, that is some excellent and fascinating information. I regret I did not know about Kokka Shinto up until this point. I still have a lot to learn. It was great to learn a little about the life of Kuroyanagi. I sure wish there was some way to learn more about his life as a soldier.

I have several other Hinomaru Yosegaki and I may post a few of them in the upcoming days and weeks in order to get some help understanding.

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