Requesting translation help for WWII Japanese soldier items.

ViniVidiDejaVu · 23 Jun 2014

Greetings! I collect personal items of the WWII Japanese soldier. I prefer to know as much about the original owner as possible, but too often this is not possible. I recently acquired 3 items that have kanji, and would greatly appreciate a translation for these items.

First is a Japanese canteen with kanji painted on the bottom, and characters sewed on the carry strap. Please take a look and let me know what you think. I can provide better pics if needed. Thank you for your help!

Mike

ViniVidiDejaVu · 23 Jun 2014

2nd Item, WWII rice cooker

Second, I have a WWII Japanese rice cooker, or mess kit. The soldiers cooked their rice ration in the lager portion, then ate the rice out of the lid or a small tray that fit inside. Several kanji are scratched into the bottom, and I would greatly enjoy knowing what they mean. Also, there are what may be manufacturers' trademarks stamped into a strap flange. See pics. Thank you for your help!

Mike

Mike

ViniVidiDejaVu · 23 Jun 2014

3rd and last, another canteen

This canteen has kanji sewed into the strap. See if you can make out what it says; I am hoping it is a name. Thank you again!

Mike

ViniVidiDejaVu · 23 Jun 2014

Oops! I forgot I had two more canteens....

These 2 canteens were supposed to belong to the same soldier that owned the rice cooker (item 2 above), and the canteen (item 3 above). I sincerely appreciate any help you can provide!

Mike

Toritoribe · 23 Jun 2014

The first one is the soldier's family name 竜見 Tatsumi.

There are three famiy names in the second one; 大田 Ōta, 瀬井 Sei and 木座 Kiza.
The name of the manufacturer is 國光 Kunimitsu.

I can't figure out the soldier's name in the third one. The manufacturer would be 大同 Daidō.

The family name in the last one is 椎名 Shīna. The year inscribed is 昭一八 Shō 18, i.e., 1943.

ViniVidiDejaVu · 23 Jun 2014

You always seem to come through, Toritoribe! Thank you again!

ViniVidiDejaVu · 24 Jun 2014

Toritoribe said:
There are three famiy names in the second one; 大田 Ōta, 瀬井 Sei and 木座 Kiza.
The name of the manufacturer is 國光 Kunimitsu.

Toritoribe: The Second item, rice cooker, has 3 family names as you point out. I considered that the cooker could have been reissued to different soldiers. But, the kanji are so regular, and look as if they were created by the same hand. Do you have any conjecture why he would have three names on his cooker? Could one of the names possibly his home town? Or perhaps he put his mother-in-law's name on it because he missed her cooking! ;-)

Toritoribe · 24 Jun 2014

I think those three soldiers shared the rice cooker.

Mike Cash · 24 Jun 2014

If you don't mind a little photo advice....

For etched or engraved items, have your light source low and to the side so it creates a shadow in the engraved "trench" instead of illuminating it. Use a room lamp and disable the flash on your camera. Turn the other lights (ceiling lights) in the room down or off. All this will help the engraved text to stand out in sharper contrast and make it much easier to see and read.

ViniVidiDejaVu · 8 Dec 2014

Mike Cash said:
If you don't mind a little photo advice....

For etched or engraved items, have your light source low and to the side so it creates a shadow in the engraved "trench" instead of illuminating it. Use a room lamp and disable the flash on your camera. Turn the other lights (ceiling lights) in the room down or off. All this will help the engraved text to stand out in sharper contrast and make it much easier to see and read.

I just saw this post ~ Thank you for the info, Mike!

Requesting translation help for WWII Japanese soldier items.

ViniVidiDejaVu

VeniVidiDejaVu

ViniVidiDejaVu

VeniVidiDejaVu

ViniVidiDejaVu

VeniVidiDejaVu

ViniVidiDejaVu

VeniVidiDejaVu

Toritoribe

松葉解禁

ViniVidiDejaVu

VeniVidiDejaVu

ViniVidiDejaVu

VeniVidiDejaVu

Toritoribe

松葉解禁

Mike Cash

骨も命も皆此の土地に埋めよう

ViniVidiDejaVu

VeniVidiDejaVu

Similar threads