Kanji translation

[Clcmasterworks]

Hello! I just joined and hope to find ongoing help translating and identifying WWII items from my father's collection of Japanese militaria. I can find often used phrases on saki cups, etc. but get stumped a lot. I would very much appreciate any help accurately cataloging these beautiful pieces. I find each one of them extraordinary.

This metal saki cup is my current mystery…

Thank you very much,

Cynthia

 

[Majestic]

The sake cup says 致身報国 (chishin hōkoku), which is basically a patriotic phrase meaning "give your life for your country".
It is a cup that commemorates the Japanese victory over Russia in 1904-1905.

 

[Clcmasterworks]

Thank you, Majestic!

I have a battered up, old list of often used saki cup phrases and poems I collected while working on the larger part of dad's saki cup/bottle collection (over 700 cups). I understand the numbers and the months, plus a few key cities, kilns and important battles.

I'd figured out there was a noun like,"country" and maybe a verb for, "to destroy, suicide, demolition" so I was on the right track. I thought it was something like "Japan was victorious in the battle for _______". The word "suicide" was throwing me off. This cup is much older than I thought.

My father held enormous respect and compassion for the Japanese military of that era. He taught my younger brother and I much about the symbolism, customs, the Emperor and a few generals, etc., in addition to what we have in the way of recorded history.

I inherited this admiration. I studied Japanese art extensively in college and my mother studied porcelains while dad was stationed in Iwakuni. He was the USMC air station's commanding officer but relished shopping for his collection and learning actual history from locals. His collection grew exponentially during his three years in Japan, as did his respect.

Now I'm sorting through and documenting the remaining items from his collection so my nephew will have an easier time understanding why this collection is so precious historically and to our family.

Again, thanks so much. I'll try not to be a pest with translation requests!

Clcmasterworks

 

[Majestic]

Bear in mind that these cups are commemorative cups. They aren't necessarily from 1904-1905, they are celebrating the events of 1904-1905. The cups could well be from the 1930s or 40s. Having said that, I've searched around a bit on the Japanese auction sites and I haven't found any like this. I have found similar cups which commemorate the same event, dating from around 1912-ish.

And I wouldn't interpret the phrase as encouraging people to commit suicide for the country (suicide would be a different verb). It is more of a generic "give your all" "devote your mind and body" to the service of the country.

 

[Clcmasterworks]

Bear in mind that these cups are commemorative cups. They aren't necessarily from 1904-1905, they are celebrating the events of 1904-1905. The cups could well be from the 1930s or 40s. Having said that, I've searched around a bit on the Japanese auction sites and I haven't found any like this. I have found similar cups which commemorate the same event, dating from around 1912-ish.

And I wouldn't interpret the phrase as encouraging people to commit suicide for the country (suicide would be a different verb). It is more of a generic "give your all" "devote your mind and body" to the service of the country.

Thank you for even more useful information. I knew the suicide verb (from photo of cup kanji on Google Translate) was not to be taken literally for a commemorative cup but I really want to get this right and my kanji is woefully rusty.

Dad had me auction nearly 100 saki cups on eBay before he died a few years ago and I listed them one by one. He got a kick out of seeing how much they had appreciated over time and how competitive the bidding would become. At one point most of the saki cups offered on eBay were our's. I still see them all over Google images.

I learned a great deal about figuring out kanji on cups during that year and surprisingly, many of them returned home to Japan. Everything was gobbled up but his collection of medals, swords, flags, and sennenbari were the craziest auctions, to say the least. Almost half of the swords went to China. I found that very interesting— one gentleman bought nineteen katana at once, all in separate but very competitive auctions. I collect the belts so dad couldn't convince me to sell many of those. You name it, he had it. It was fun to see him enjoy those auctions so much.

 

[mdchachi]

Thank you for even more useful information. I knew the suicide verb (from photo of cup kanji on Google Translate) was not to be taken literally for a commemorative cup but I really want to get this right and my kanji is woefully rusty.

Dad had me auction nearly 100 saki cups on eBay before he died a few years ago and I listed them one by one. He got a kick out of seeing how much they had appreciated over time and how competitive the bidding would become. At one point most of the saki cups offered on eBay were our's. I still see them all over Google images.

I learned a great deal about figuring out kanji on cups during that year and surprisingly, many of them returned home to Japan. Everything was gobbled up but his collection of medals, swords, flags, and sennenbari were the craziest auctions, to say the least. Almost half of the swords went to China. I found that very interesting— one gentleman bought nineteen katana at once, all in separate but very competitive auctions. I collect the belts so dad couldn't convince me to sell many of those. You name it, he had it. It was fun to see him enjoy those auctions so much.

That's great that he got to see his collection go to many of their new homes. I'm to the point where I don't want to collect anything. I don't get enjoyment out of collecting stuff and ultimately it becomes a burden. Though I do wish I had "collected" some Microsoft or Coca-Cola stock decades go.