Japanese Military Bottle Find, Can Anyone Help?

[soldat251]

Back in the early 70's I was in the Peace Corp stationed on Truk Island in the Caroline Islands. While hiking one day with friends we came across an old Japanese shore battery from WWII. While rummaging around I found a bottle with Japanese inscriptions. Can anyone recognize the bottle type or read the inscriptions? The inscriptions are embossed in the glass so I copied them to be better seen. My guess is a saki or beer bottle. The only other bottle like it I have ever seen was at the United Nations Building while viewing a display on Hiroshima. That bottle was partially melted but looked exactly like the one I have. Any suggestions would be appreciated. URLS to the pictures are below.

http://pic15.picturetrail.com/VOL632...9/83111905.jpg

http://pic15.picturetrail.com/VOL632...9/83111937.jpg

[blinky]

Just a quick translation, the name of the product in katakana is "Ruubinsoki", which I'm not familiar with.
The second line in kanji is Japanese for trademark (shirushi?) which the "arrowed B" is.
The bottom row, not sure, it's difficult to read.

I just have a basic kanji dictionary with me, when I can I'll try a better translation.

eric

[soldat251]

Maybe this can help Eric...

The first line of characters I drew are on one side of the bottle, and the second and third lines, starting from left to right makes up the text (one line) on the other side of the bottle. Hope that helps.

Just a quick translation, the name of the product in katakana is "Ruubinsoki", which I'm not familiar with.
The second line in kanji is Japanese for trademark (shirushi?) which the "arrowed B" is.
The bottom row, not sure, it's difficult to read.

I just have a basic kanji dictionary with me, when I can I'll try a better translation.

eric

[blinky]

It makes a big difference!
And I have no idea why I didn't notice it sooner......ruubinriki.........ack! I was reading it backwards.
It's KIRIN BIIRU!

or, Kirin Beer.

Sorry, it was a long day today.....

[Eric Doody]

Yes, the bottle is for Kirin Beer which is still made today! (I drank many of these beers back in the early 1980s while stationed in Japan.)

Thanks for the help with the translation Blinky...you did an excellent job!

[soldat251]

Thanks Eric

You hear a lot about Japanese soldiers drinking saki and rice wine, but not much about their beer drinking! A 60 year old Japanese beer bottle will make a good conversation piece. Think I will have a Kirin the next time I'm out.

Yes, the bottle is for Kirin Beer which is still made today! (I drank many of these beers back in the early 1980s while stationed in Japan.)

Thanks for the help with the translation Blinky...you did an excellent job!

[blinky]

The Japanese LOVED their beer! What could be better....a tropical island, beer.....if it wasn't for someone coming along to blow the snot out of you it would be paradise

[JaimeH]

I have the same bottles from a friend sent to me from Kwajalein Island, your right the Kirin logo is still in use today. I also have a few Coke bottles from the occupying Americans.

[Larry Lipps]

Beer wasn't just a Japanese thing. My uncle was a B29 Flight Engineer with the 20th AAC on Saipan. He told me that they used to cool their beer in the 100 octane gas because ice wasn't available. If too much gas managed to seep in around the cap, then they would trade it to the Merchant Marines for fresh fruit. I got the impression that their beer was an important part of stress relief between missions.

[blinky]

All I can picture now is our moderator spending three weeks in Hawaii doing a "living history" demonstration of an American GI pounding down beers on a south Pacific beach