Could anyone translate Japanese writing on this tablet? (see photo)?

Question

Hello.

A simple wooden tablet was given to my husbands Father (now deceased) in the late 1940's by a Japanese Nisei Army Air Corps buddy . Husband has no idea what it is - but since I grew up in California with Japanese friends, I believe it may be a temporary household shrine/mortuary tablet. Is this correct? (in which case it belongs somewhere other than our bookcase, I'm sure)

If someone could be kind enough to translate the writing, maybe it will decide whether we need to track down a better home for it. Then again, it very well say nothing more than "the man I have given this to plays cards very badly" or, "Happy New Year 1953"

see photo here: http://www.brianmcculloughshow.biz/Japan.jpg

Any help is appreciated. Thank you (and Happy New Year 2007)

Answer 1

故海軍機関兵長児島義忠之霊

English:
"The spirit of the deceased navy lance corporal Yoshitada Kojima."

Japanese broken down as follows:
故｜海軍機関｜兵長｜児島義忠｜之｜霊
ko | kaigun kikan | heichou | kojima yoshitada | no | rei


故 (ko) = Deceased (prefix)
海軍機関 (kaigun kikan) = The Navy
兵長 (heichou) = lance corporal
児島義忠 (kojimayoshitada) Yoshitada Kojima (the man's name)
之 (no) = Japanese possesive particle の (no) written in kanji
霊 (rei) = soul / spirit (of the deceased) (the kanji used in the photo is an old version)

Hope this helps. If you have problems viewing Japanese in your browser, let me know.

Answer 2

That's a toughee. If it is digital textual content, replica and paste it into bablefish choosing the Japanese to English choice. Even if this works, it's going to traditionally come again jibberish however it's going to make bit extra feel. From right here it is a subject of deciphering the context and making an attempt to determine what this unusual poetry truthfully approach. If it is on paper, take a look at the telephone book for a translation provider or make peers with anybody in Japan and ask them to translate it for you. Good good fortune.

Answer 3

I can't quite make out all of the characters, but here is what I can read:
故 - deceased
Then (海軍機関) means "Navy"
Then are: (兵長) This is "lance corporal"
児島義忠 - Kojima Yoshitada (person's name)
之 - possessive
霊 - spirit
Together: The spirit of deceased lance corporal Kojima Yoshitada.

This IS a mortuary tablet (called 牌位 "ihai"). The wooden tablets are used during the period of mourning (yours looks like one of these) and then it is replaced by a black-laquered tablet when the period of mourning is over. The wooden tablets are normally burned once the mourning period is over, and the black one is to be placed in the home's Buddhist altar. So, I think it is simply honoring a lance corporal in the Navy who was loyal and honorable.


I hope that helped!