Help with translation

[Luka0101]

Hello,

need help with translating this text on the bottom of a box.

Thanks a lot for your help!

 

[Majestic]

明治七歳　　Meiji shichi nen
一月吉日　　Ichigatsu kichijitsu
秋葉佐右衛門　Akiba Saemon
新調之 Shinchō kore

Akiba Saemon acquired this in Meiji 7, January.

 

[mdchachi]

Meiji 7 = 1874

 

[Luka0101]

Oh thanks a lot for a quick translation guys..
Wow, so it's actually from early Meiji period, 1874! Is that a usual way of writing the year? Calculating from the start of the era and adding the written number? So Meiji 20 would be 1888?

Also, in the meantime I was cleaning the chest a little bit and found these papers "hidden" behind the drawer:

Are you familiar with such documents? Some kind of a financial bond I guess. Seems people auction them, this one seems the same as the one I got:

13 - Hypothec Bank of Japan, 4% debenture of 10 yen, 1920, number 606...

It seems the documents are from the 1920. Any ideas on what they are and why would a person own them?

Thank a lot for the help, I'm always fascinated with the surprises these Tansu boxes hold.

 

[Toritoribe]

Is that a usual way of writing the year? Calculating from the start of the era and adding the written number?

Yes.

Japanese era name - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

So Meiji 20 would be 1888?

Mieji 20 is 1887.

Some kind of a financial bond I guess.

Right. As written in English, those are debenture bonds.

It seems the documents are from the 1920.

The upper one is Taishō 9, i.e., 1920, and the lower is Meiji 40, i.e., 1907.

Any ideas on what they are and why would a person own them?

For investment/money management, most likely.

 

[Luka0101]

Mieji 20 is 1887.

Thanks a lot for the answers Toritoribe! Obviously I gotta work on my math!