Hello: This is my first post here. I present for your enjoyment/comment/translation assistance my collection of hinomaru. The first is the only one I have seen with arabic numbers, 2599-1-29 (January 29, 1939 to you and me). Does anyone know the significance of the date? I assume it is only significant to the recipient of the flag. I am no fair hand at translation, but I believe that the kanji on the right side of the flag is close to, but not, Bu-Un-Cho-Kyu. There are three across the top that appear to start with the number one, or "-". Anything you can tell me on this one is appreciated. Much of the writing on this one appears to be by the same "artistic" hand to me. Do you think the same, and is there any significance to this?
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Last edited by Lea Hall; 12-08-2014, 03:24 PM. -
2nd one
This one appears to have bloodstains and a look like it is a true battlefield relic, which is what attracted me to it. It appears to have Bu-Un-Cho-Kyu across the top, but not sure if I am correct. The lion's share of writing on this one is hard to read. Of course if something jumps out, please let me know, but am really interested in the large writing on the right hand side of the flag. -
I'm sure others who can read the kanji will comment but just for future reference there is a thread here ...
http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=493366
... that lists quite a few of the main slogans that are usually in large font.
Nick Komiya has made up a chart of them that is an quick find reference. It's posted on the first page.
Regards,
StuComment
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3rd one
This one has been posted on this board before by another user. http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...=493366&page=8 From that post, I have a translation regarding the Sakura. The Sakura contains the 6 characters standing for the military code of conduct, including "Sincerity". Loyalty to the nation, courteousness, bravery, integrity and frugality are the others, I believe. There also appears to be "Certain victory" at the seven and two o'clock positions. Please let me know what you think. Thanks for your consideration.Comment
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Thanks Stu. I've been studying that, but this is very challenging to me. Any help I can get is appreciated.
Thanks,
LeaComment
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Hey Lea, Geoff here Nice Hinomaru! I understand the difficulties discerning some of the characters Like our handwriting there are many different styles of penmanship The appearance of multiple dimensions in depth gives me fits.Thankfully we have some very talented help here! What part of "The Boot" do you live in? Regards GeoffComment
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Correct:Originally posted by Lea Hall View Post
祈武運長久
Ki Buun Chōkyū
Prayers/Wishes for Everlasting Fortunes in Battle
贈 今泉茂男君
Sō Imaizumi Shigeo-kun
Gifted to Mr Imaizumi Shigeo
山口廣 市
Yamaguchi Hiroshi ... shi
Yamaguchi ~ [?Hiroshi?]. The next kanji is 廣 and can be either Hiro~ [e.g., Hiroshima] or Hiroshi [given name]; on the flag there looks like some writing just to the right of 廣, perhaps even being part of that kanji .... so this might be a different, more complex, kanji altogether [or it could be someone else's writing overlapping]. The last kanji 市means city ... so I"m a bit confused here.
大日本兵器株式会社
Dai Nippon Heiki Kabushi Kaisha
Greater Japan Weapons Co., LTD
第三製作所幸田工場
Dai San Seisakusho Koda Kōjō
Number 3 Factory, Koda Workshop
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Hello Lea,Originally posted by Lea Hall View Post
I feel your pain! LOL. It's very challenging for me too! I usually start there for the "easy" ones then have to cry for help when it gets to the more complex kanji groupings and the toughest for me is the grass writing. It can be fun though as you watch it come together. A bit like building a jigsaw puzzle.
Regards,
StuComment
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大日本兵器株式会社
Dai Nippon Heiki Kabushi Kaisha
Greater Japan Weapons Co., LTD
第三製作所幸田工場
Dai San Seisakusho Koda Kōjō
Number 3 Factory, Koda Workshop
Now that looks interesting. I bet you could do some research on that company. Maybe it's still in existence. Some of the others are but of course have changed over to make automobiles and electronics.
Regards,
StuComment
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Hey Geoff, I am from Caddo (SHV) but work all over the State. What about you? What gets me is how different they appear as handwritten to the printed kanji I am attempting to compare them to. I am getting better, but am a long way from competent. Main thing is, I am having fun doing it. I agree with you the "help" here is amazing. Thanks, LeaOriginally posted by Geoff Ward View PostComment
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Originally posted by GHP View PostWhat a cool name! I've never heard the first or surname before. Mind blown.
Glad I got one right. After closer comparison to my no.1 flag, it appears that this is phrase is also on the right side of that flag. Is that also correct?
Originally posted by GHP View Post
This appears to me to be two different hands. The size of the writing certainly changes by the time we get to Yamaguchi, but the line continues as if unbroken. Is this unusual? If you are confused, they don't even have a word for what I am.Originally posted by GHP View Post
Guy:Originally posted by GHP View Post
Thank you for this. I did not expect anything nearly so cool as the Greater Japan Weapons Co., LTD. I will research this as Stu suggested. I know this is a huge effort on your part (I read your translations almost daily) and want you to know how much I appreciate it. If there is some way to compensate you for your efforts I am glad to oblige. If there is any way to keep you happy and translating my flags, I want to do that. Is there anything else you could tell me about the other flags (esp. #1)? If not, I really appreciate all you have given me tonight. Did I get anything right on no.3?
Thanks, LeaComment
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So far, I've been able to find out that a Kabushiki Kaisha is a Japanese business type, similar to a corporation. They have a few different rules, but basically a corp. That being said, the only reference I come up with is attached to the name "Hitachi."
This is the title of a book, written in Japanese. The only reference I could find.
Hitachi Heiki Kabushiki Kaisha -- History
Anyone have any suggestions on where to look next?Comment
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Kabushiki Kaisha (or KK as in the zipper company YKK) is the equivalent of our CO. LTD.Originally posted by Lea Hall View Post
I found mentions of the Dai Nippon Heiki KK online:
--GuyこのエリコンＦＦ型固定機銃はまず「恵式２０ミリ固定機銃１型」と名付けられて採用され、続いて昭和１６年 １２月１３日「９９式１号２０ミリ固定機銃」と名称が変更された。この間に富岡兵器製作所は、１３年７月１ 日、浦賀船渠から独立して大日本兵器株式会社となっている。
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The Oerlikon [Erikon] FF type fixed machine gun was adopted were first named "Megumi-shiki 20 mm fixed machine gun type 1", followed in December 13, 1941 as "Type 99 No. 1 20 mm fixed machine gun" name has been changed . Tomioka weapons factory during this period, July 1, 13, has became the large Nippon Weapons Corporation LTD from Uraga Dock Company.Comment
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Based on what Guy found, I was able to find this at Castle Thunder:
http://www.castle-thunder.com/wforum...4e29e284e15d9eLast edited by Lea Hall; 12-09-2014, 10:25 AM.Comment
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This is lifted from the post on Castle Thunder with the important part bolded:
Translation of the markings by Edokko:
1) E-shiki Nijju-miri Senkai-kiju Toku Ichi-gata Kai : Type-E (as in Oerlikon) 20mm Flexible Machine Gun Special Model 1 Rev.
2) Showa Ju-Roku-nen Go-gatsu : May 1941
3) Dai-nihon Heiki Kabushiki Kaisha / Tomioka Heiki Seisakujo : Dai-nippon Weapons Co., Ltd. / Tomioka Weapons Manufacturing Plant
A brief history of the Japanese Type 99 20mm Flex gun provided by Edokko.
Yes, these 20mm MG beasts were used quite broadly by the IJN.
They were initially built under license from the Swiss company Oerlikon from
1936 by The Tomioka Weapons Manufacturing Plant, established solely to build
these 20mm cannons by a private company called Uraga Dockyard Co., Ltd.,
under agreement from the navy that they will purchase the MGs and ammo if
the final product meet their specs.
The license was for the Models FF, FFL and FFS, each increasing in barrel
length and powder contents in order, but the weight specs initially limited
the aircraft application to the FF type, and hence Tomioka's first
production was the Type E (pronounced "E" as in "egg", not as in "eat") 20mm
Fixed Machine Gun Model-1 based on the Oerlikon FF coming off of the
production line in June 1937 using mostly imported materials. On July 1938,
The Tomioka Weapons Manufacturing Plant spun out from Uraga Dockyard and
became the Dai-Nippon Weapons Co., Ltd.. Produced the first purely domestic
material based 20mm MGs in July 1939, and the Type E 20mm Fixed MG Mode-1
was renamed the Type 99 No.1 20mm Fixed MG in February 1941. Obviously
during the course of evolution of this company, many more types of 20mm MGs
were made including larger capacity drum mags, belt fed MGs and of course
the flexible MGs as the one your friend owns.
The initial application of the fixed MG onto aircraft was the Type 96
fighter, but was most known for it's use on the famous Zero fighter. The
Zero saw several evolutions of the Type E and then the Type 99 20mm MG to
improve ammo capacity and accuracy, and the final magazine fed variation was
called the Type 99 No.2 20mm Fixed Machine Gun Model 3 with a 100 round
capacity magazine and was used until the end of war on the fighters Zero,
Raiden and Shiden.
The belt fed variation was developed in 1943 and named the Type 99 20mm No.2
Fixed MG Model 4, but had many problems with their production examples and
had to undergo many improvements as they were used on the Zero, Raiden,
Shiden, Shiden-kai and the Gekko.
There is much more info on the history of the 20mm navy MG born as the
Type-E but is just too vast to write up here. As for the flexible MGs, these
were built for the tail gunner of flying boats (ie Type 2 Flying Boat etc)
and the Mid-range Bombers (ie. Betty Bomber etc), but your friends model
Type-E 20mm Flexible Machine Gun Special Model-1 Rev. is a manually aimed
variation of the Type-E 20mm Flexible MG Special Model-1, which in turn was
a flexible MG modified from the Type-E 20mm Fixed MG.
Amazing where this stuff goes sometimes.Comment
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