Japanese Award Document for Translation

[ErwinRommel1940]

Hello all,

I’d like this award document to be translated. I was given the following information by the seller: Awarded to Seaman Fukui Mutoh for battles in the Paciifc sea. Order of the Rising Sun 8th class and Order of the Kite 7th class. Dated 1943.

Is this translation correct? Does it say anything additional or provide anymore details?

Thank you for the help in advance!

[GeorgeP]

Interesting. If only such documents could talk.

The left title/signature is from this guy here:

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/瀬古保次

Back looks to point to a posthumous awarding of the medals of the 7th Golden Kite and 8th Rising Sun.


Tom

[GHP]

I concur with Tom regarding the Orders awarded.


I read his given name differently than what you have:
武藤文雄
Mutō Fumio




文雄 can be read the following ways:
あやお Ayao (unclassified given name)
ふみお Fumio (unclassified given name)
ぶんのう Bunnou (unclassified given name)
ぶんゆう Bun'yuu (unclassified given name)

[ErwinRommel1940]

GeorgeP - thanks! Interesting that you think they may be posthumous.

GHP - thanks, as always!

Is the document dated 1943, maybe even a month and day? Is his rank listed as described? I’m hoping the if this information is provided, I could pin down where he may have been killed (if that was the case).

Thanks!

[GHP]

I used modern hiragana for particles and okurikana (kanji suffixes) instead of the katakana used in the text; e.g., for the particle "ni" 二 I use "に"; etc.

海軍上等水兵武藤文雄
今次戦争に於ける功に
依り功七級金鵄勲章及
勲八等白色桐葉章を授
げ賜う

昭和十八年一月三日
賞勲局総裁正四位勲二等瀬古保次


賞勲
局総
裁印


Navy Seaman First Class Muto Fumio

For meritorious service during the present war
Therefore, the Order of the Golden Kite 7th Class as well as
the Order of the Rising Sun 8th Class
is bestowed.

Showa 18th Year [1943], 3 January
Honorary Awards Bureau President, 4th Court Rank & Order of the Sacred Treasure 2nd Class Seko Yasutsugu [seal]


[note: The Order of the Rising Sun 8th Class is called, in Japanese, the 8th grade of the White Paulownia Leaf Order.]


Hopefully Tom will correct any meaning-errors of mine.


- Guy

[ErwinRommel1940]

Guy,

Awesome! Thanks so much, I’ll be printing that out to put with it!

I think there was a few lines of kanji on the other side, was that included in the last post?

Thanks!

[GHP]

Pencil:
福岡八女所
Fukuoka Yame-sho
Fukuoka, Yame (city) District

Stamp:
亞死＊三十二囘

[Modern Japanese: 亜死＊三十二回]
A-Shi * Sanjūni-Kai
A-Shi * 32nd Occurence

Hopefully Tom can figure this one out for us .... he's the documentarian and reads Japanese very well -- a fact he's been sorta-kinda hiding.

I thought it might have something to do with the number of deaths 死 from the Asian 亜 war ... but I get all sorts of google hits for just 亜死 that have nothing to do with war .... very cryptic to me.


Cheers,
-- Guy

[GeorgeP]

Guy, you are much too kind. Unfortunately, not much more to add. I am separated from my reference library at this time, so am more hobbled than usual. It would be interesting to see if the number below has anything to do with the kanji above on the back, whether it is a general serial number of awards given out thus far, or something else.



Tom

[GHP]

Guy, you are much too kind.

トムさん。。。。。いい加減にしてくれ. トムさんが第二次世界大戦の文書を翻訳することについての記事を読むことがありましたよ。

... It would be interesting to see if the number below has anything to do with the kanji above on the back, whether it is a general serial number of awards given out thus far, or something else.

Yeah, I'm thinking those numbers are for the document -- perhaps those awarded to the KIA's next-of-kin?


-- Guy
[pardon any grammar errors in my 文章]

[ErwinRommel1940]

Guy and Tom,

Thank you for your input and translation. With your translation, this will make a nice display alongside my Order of Kite collection.

Thanks again!

[GHP]

Guy and Tom,

Thank you for your input and translation. With your translation, this will make a nice display alongside my Order of Kite collection.

Thanks again!

Always glad to help when I can.

[GHP]

Regarding 福岡八女所

The more I compare the print vs. the handwritten, I do not think it is 所. I've built the kanji by radicals, and 所 is the only kanji that is close to what is written.

• It is not 市 [shi/town]; but, that is how the town is styled: 八女市 [Yame-shi]
• It is not 郡 [gun/county] although during WWII it was 八女郡 [Yame-gun].

Tom: Thoughts?


-- Guy

[GeorgeP]

躑?


Seriously, could not say.

Tom