Anybody interpret japanese

[starnbar]

I have some wwll stuff from my father who was based on Iwo Jima he killed a jap lt one night during a banzai charge on the pilots stationed on the airfield on Iwo. He brought home a belt of 1000 stiches which was supposed to be good luck didn't work out for this imperial marine.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

I do not, but have an Arisaka rifle with two small brass plates embedded into the buttstock. I wondered about them for years and eventually showed some photos on this Forum. A member who is no longer present (NavyVet1958 if I remember correctly) was able to get it translated and it was a real surprise. I had tried several times by showing rubbings of the plates to various people of Japanese descent, and learned that the characters were no longer all in common use, picked up a little here and there, and eventually it all came together. I think you might try "Google Translate" for a start. I've used it many times to translate German, Italian, etc., but never an Oriental language. I do believe, though, that it can be done on the internet.

DG

[popper]

Various dialects of the written Japanese. I've heard some of the markings are unit assignments. Some of the Mum were stamped over. Some also did 'notches/honor medallions' in their weapons. A 'belt' was probably a 'prayer' belt. Could be Confucius, Buddhist or Shinto. 武運長久 is typical (no I don't read or speek Japanese).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senninbari

[jim147]

My daughter knows a little. MIL was born over there during the occupation but she never learned the language. She was only on base until he headed to Korea.

[rancher1913]

I do not, but have an Arisaka rifle with two small brass plates embedded into the buttstock. I wondered about them for years and eventually showed some photos on this Forum. A member who is no longer present (NavyVet1958 if I remember correctly) was able to get it translated and it was a real surprise. I had tried several times by showing rubbings of the plates to various people of Japanese descent, and learned that the characters were no longer all in common use, picked up a little here and there, and eventually it all came together. I think you might try "Google Translate" for a start. I've used it many times to translate German, Italian, etc., but never an Oriental language. I do believe, though, that it can be done on the internet.

DG

so what did it say, you cant tell that much of a story and then leave us hanging :)

[rancher1913]

I do not, but have an Arisaka rifle with two small brass plates embedded into the buttstock. I wondered about them for years and eventually showed some photos on this Forum. A member who is no longer present (NavyVet1958 if I remember correctly) was able to get it translated and it was a real surprise. I had tried several times by showing rubbings of the plates to various people of Japanese descent, and learned that the characters were no longer all in common use, picked up a little here and there, and eventually it all came together. I think you might try "Google Translate" for a start. I've used it many times to translate German, Italian, etc., but never an Oriental language. I do believe, though, that it can be done on the internet.

DG

so what did it say

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Ahhh......[smilie=l: I guess you're right! Well, it said that such and such a company located in Tokyo prints in three styles. The company makes copy machinery, at the time of the war mimeograph machines. Apparently someone removed these little brass plates from a captured mimeograph machine and carefully inletted them into the stock. Whomever did a really great job of it, because they look like they were there from day one. I did have some really great photos, but once when my computer seemed to be going belly up I deleted all unnecessary files and photos to make memory available, and those were among what I deleted. I do still have the rifle and might get around to taking more. I love to take and show photos of odd things in my accumulation, but am really a stone age guy operating with an old HP 2nd generation digital camera. I did take some with a much more modern Nikon camera that are still on the computer, but can not get them to upload to the website. It is an amusing and disappointing story though. I had hoped the plates indicated presentation to someone important. "To Admiral Yamamoto from a grateful Emperor." :lol:

DG

[rancher1913]

sorry for the double post, my internet went out and I thought it did not post.

[abunaitoo]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senninbari

[Rcmaveric]

I am learning Japanese. But i am no where good enough to be of any help.

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

[starnbar]

I know the correct name is senninbari and that is about all my dad got that info from a interpreter from Saipan.

[Thumbcocker]

As I understand it; a1000 stich belt was made when a female relative asked people to sew a stich on the belt to be given to the wearer. Each stich represents a prayer for the success of the wearers mission. 1000 stitches 1000 prayers. Kamikaze pilots often had them.

[redneck1]

Ahhh......[smilie=l: I guess you're right! Well, it said that such and such a company located in Tokyo prints in three styles. The company makes copy machinery, at the time of the war mimeograph machines. Apparently someone removed these little brass plates from a captured mimeograph machine and carefully inletted them into the stock. Whomever did a really great job of it, because they look like they were there from day one. I did have some really great photos, but once when my computer seemed to be going belly up I deleted all unnecessary files and photos to make memory available, and those were among what I deleted. I do still have the rifle and might get around to taking more. I love to take and show photos of odd things in my accumulation, but am really a stone age guy operating with an old HP 2nd generation digital camera. I did take some with a much more modern Nikon camera that are still on the computer, but can not get them to upload to the website. It is an amusing and disappointing story though. I had hoped the plates indicated presentation to someone important. "To Admiral Yamamoto from a grateful Emperor." :lol:

DG

I have to laugh at this , a kid I went to high school with had an arisaka with a small brass tag inlet into it to .
His translation was something like Nippon electric appliance company . The tag came off a clothes iron .