Japanese Memorial Military Sake Cups

ClareBk · 15 Dec 2025

Our Powerhouse museum would love some assistance with the translation please of these two items from the Russo Japanese War.
We now have a video of two sake cups that are written in Chinese script writing but can't upload because not in the correct format.
Majestic you kindly helped us before about the starting point on both items 'made from clay from hill 203'.
The first photos are of the slightly taller cup.
The photo of the smaller sake cup was found with a box on military sake cup website but no translation of the poem. It is a military commemorative sake cup. I have had closer up photos done of all sides of both sake cups.
Are you able to help us or direct us to someone who can help with the translations of both please?

Majestic · 15 Dec 2025

I'm not 100% sure its a poem. For instance, one of the sections on the tall cup just repeats some information you already know:

二百三高地之土作之烏城(義)人？ Made of clay from Hill 203, by Ujo (Yoshindo)?.
Ujo is also a name of a famous kiln area in Aomori prefecture, so the potter could have some connection with the Ujo kiln.

Likewise, the box for the smaller cup also references a "Watanabe Ujo". The lid's text is nearly identical
以二百三高地之土作之旅順白玉山書房渡邉烏城
Made of clay from Hill 203. Dalian, Baiyushan Publishing, Watanabe Ujo

Baiyushan is a reference to a location of significance to the Japanese in the Russo-Japanese war, and I presume it was used as the name of the shop or company that produced these souvenir goods.

ClareBk · 15 Dec 2025

Thankyou Majestic, i will research your info some more!

Majestic · 16 Dec 2025

@NANGI may be able to add some more info as well.

ClareBk · 16 Dec 2025

Will follow up, thankyou Majestic!

NANGI · 17 Dec 2025

Konnichiwa ClareBk-san! Majestic-san!

First of all, I apologize for not being of any help to you regarding Chinese poetry.

Pottery made from clay from Hill 203 is known as 二〇三高地焼(203Kouchi-Yaki), 二〇三地焼(203Chi-Yaki), 烏城焼(Ujo-Yaki) or 旅順焼(Ryojun-Yaki).

The tall cup is a teacup "湯呑：Yunomi". Yunomi is used to drink hot water or hot green tea.

I can't read the poem, sorry.

二百三高地之土作之烏城当人 : Made of clay from Hill 203 by Ujo himself

I can't read the letter "当人:himself" well, maybe I'm wrong.

The small cup is a sake cup "盃:Sakazuki".

I can't read the poem, sorry.

The stamp on the box indicates the manufacturer.

以二百三高地 : from Hill 203

之土作之 : Made of clay

旅順 : Port Arthur(place name)

白玉山書房 : Workshop name

渡邉烏城 : Potter name

白玉山 is the name of a mountain in Port Arthur. I think it represents the location of the potter. By the way, the official name of 203 Hill is "松樹山:Shouju-san" in Japan.

書房 means Calligraphy Workshop. 渡邉烏城 is originally a calligrapher.

The central letter "𥾏岡" is not currently used in Japan and its meaning is unknown.

"烏城" is also another name for Okayama Castle. 渡邉烏城 is originally from Okayama, and his name is probably taken from Okayama Castle.

The lords of Okayama are the Ikeda clan, whose family crest is a butterfly. The insect depicted around the outside of the stamp is a butterfly. I think the other thing on the outside of the stamp is a bird maybe. But I'm not sure.

"烏城" means "crow castle" in literal translation. Because Okayama Castle is the black castle. Maybe the bird on the stamp is a crow. But to be honest, it looks like a peacock to me...

General Nogi was also famous as a poet. 二〇三高地焼 quotes Nogi's poem in whole or in part. However, I am not familiar with Chinese poetry, so I don't know if the poem on the pottery are by Nogi.

You probably already know this, but I'll mention it just in case. 二〇三高地焼 is neither a military product nor a government product. It's purely a souvenir.

The Russo-Japanese War ended in 1905, and 烏城 began making pottery in 1907. Pottery made from clay from Hill 203 was purchased by Japanese tourists and bereaved families visiting to pay their respects.

NANGI

Majestic · 17 Dec 2025

The central letters on the box under the flags are 紀念 (souvenir) written in Chinese seal script (just a particular font that looks "classic" and official)

NANGI · 17 Dec 2025

Konnichiwa Majestic-san!

Thanks for the advice. I'm not familiar with Chinese seal script!

NANGI

ClareBk · 19 Dec 2025

NANGI said:
Konnichiwa ClareBk-san! Majestic-san!

First of all, I apologize for not being of any help to you regarding Chinese poetry.

Pottery made from clay from Hill 203 is known as 二〇三高地焼(203Kouchi-Yaki), 二〇三地焼(203Chi-Yaki), 烏城焼(Ujo-Yaki) or 旅順焼(Ryojun-Yaki).

The tall cup is a teacup "湯呑：Yunomi". Yunomi is used to drink hot water or hot green tea.

I can't read the poem, sorry.

二百三高地之土作之烏城当人 : Made of clay from Hill 203 by Ujo himself

I can't read the letter "当人:himself" well, maybe I'm wrong.

The small cup is a sake cup "盃:Sakazuki".

I can't read the poem, sorry.

The stamp on the box indicates the manufacturer.

以二百三高地 : from Hill 203

之土作之 : Made of clay

旅順 : Port Arthur(place name)

白玉山書房 : Workshop name

渡邉烏城 : Potter name

白玉山 is the name of a mountain in Port Arthur. I think it represents the location of the potter. By the way, the official name of 203 Hill is "松樹山:Shouju-san" in Japan.

書房 means Calligraphy Workshop. 渡邉烏城 is originally a calligrapher.

The central letter "𥾏岡" is not currently used in Japan and its meaning is unknown.

"烏城" is also another name for Okayama Castle. 渡邉烏城 is originally from Okayama, and his name is probably taken from Okayama Castle.

The lords of Okayama are the Ikeda clan, whose family crest is a butterfly. The insect depicted around the outside of the stamp is a butterfly. I think the other thing on the outside of the stamp is a bird maybe. But I'm not sure.

"烏城" means "crow castle" in literal translation. Because Okayama Castle is the black castle. Maybe the bird on the stamp is a crow. But to be honest, it looks like a peacock to me...

General Nogi was also famous as a poet. 二〇三高地焼 quotes Nogi's poem in whole or in part. However, I am not familiar with Chinese poetry, so I don't know if the poem on the pottery are by Nogi.

You probably already know this, but I'll mention it just in case. 二〇三高地焼 is neither a military product nor a government product. It's purely a souvenir.

The Russo-Japanese War ended in 1905, and 烏城 began making pottery in 1907. Pottery made from clay from Hill 203 was purchased by Japanese tourists and bereaved families visiting to pay their respects.

NANGI

Thankyou so much Nangi san for your time and information. Very interesting. Will review more on Monday when at the office! I was advised when reading the chinese script one must say it with a Japanese pronunciation but havent been able to have it translated properly.

Japanese Memorial Military Sake Cups

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