Japanese translation help needed

[Mike James]

I've recently purchased two banners (Nobori ??) which, I am told, were used in local parades when a soldier was sent off to war being suspended from bamboo poles. I hvae also been told that these banners often have the name of the recruit on them as well as a "good luck" message.

The longest of thes banners is about 20 feet and the smaller is about 12 feet in length. The longer one is of silk with handwritten Japanese characters and the smaller is on an open weave cotton (again with handwritten characteres). Both banners have two hand painted flags at the top and a representation of a tiger's head on one and a chrisanthumum on the other between the two flags.

Each banner has two phrases, one in large characters and one in smaller characters to the bottom left.

I would be very grateful for any more information on the use of these banners and of a translation of both sets of characters on both of the banners.

Thanks, Mike

[phylo_roadking]

...I can't resist this....

when a soldier was sent off to war being suspended from bamboo poles

...that's a damn painful way to say goodbye!

[Mike James]

Very droll !! where's that quote from?

[phylo_roadking]

I've recently purchased two banners (Nobori ??) which, I am told, were used in local parades when a soldier was sent off to war being suspended from bamboo poles. I hvae also been told that these banners often have the name of the recruit on them as well as a "good luck" message.

[Mike James]

Oooops !! I must remember to check my grammar !!!

[Kim Sung]

The first banner

歡送加藤榮吉君

贈阿蘇長治郞

歡送 (kanso) - hearty send-off

加藤榮吉 (Kato Eikichi) - The name of a IJN colonel. The head of the 87th Guards' Unit in the Battle of Bougainville. He was a Japanese B-class war criminal who was sentenced to death at the Rabaul Trial presided over by the Australians. He was executed on August 1st, 1946.

君 (kun) - Japanese honorific used for a young man ( a little different from English honorific Mr.)



http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~un3k-mn/0815-3kato.htm


贈 (zo) - To award

阿蘇長治郞 (Aso Nagajiro) - The name of a man

"We heartily send off Mr. Kato Eikichi.

Awarded by Aso Nagajiro"

[Kim Sung]

祝出征佐藤民義君

小綱木村大綱木村組合

祝 (shuku) - Congratulations!

出征 (shussei) - To serve in the war

佐藤民義 (Sato Tamiyoshi) - The name of a man


小綱木村 (Kotsunagi mura) - Kotsunagi village (a village in the Fukushima Prefecture)

大綱木村 (Ohtsunagi mura) - Ohtsunagi village (a village in the Fukushima Prefecture)

組合 (kumiai) - labor union




http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%BC%8A% ... 4%E9%83%A1

Congratulations on Mr. Sato Tamiyoshi's going to the front!

(Awarded by) The Labor Union Kotsunagi and Ohtsunagi villages

[Kim Sung]

I've recently purchased two banners (Nobori ??)

Yes, the Japanese call those kinds of banners noboribata (のぼりばた). Nobori is an abbreviated form of noboribata.

http://yaplog.jp/jb-manner/archive/40

[Mike James]

WOW - what a great piece of research Sung. I am very grateful to you for your help.
It makes these pieces really come to life to know who they were made for.

Mike

[Mike James]

I've just found this link for details of the trial Sung mentioned above.
Mike

http://www.ess.uwe.ac.uk/WCC/kato.htm#FINDINGS

[Kim Sung]

WOW - what a great piece of research Sung. I am very grateful to you for your help.
It makes these pieces really come to life to know who they were made for.

Mike

You're welcome~!