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Military Japanese/Part 2

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Military Japanese
by Yukuo Uyehara
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4740517Military JapaneseYukuo Uyehara
​

Part II
Helpful Material for Interpretation
and Translation

​

Japanese Syllabary

The Japanese written language is made up of three different types of ideographs: (1) the Chinese characters, (2) the hiragana and (3) the katakana. However, it is possible to write everything in either the hiragana or katakana.

Hiragana Katakana
a
あ		 i
い		 u
う		 e
え		 o
お		 a
ア		 i
イ		 u
ウ		 e
エ		 o
オ
ka
か		 ki
き		 ku
く		 ke
け		 ko
こ		 ka
カ		 ki
キ		 ku
ク		 ke
ケ		 ko
コ
sa
さ		 shi
し		 su
す		 se
せ		 so
そ		 sa
サ		 shi
シ		 su
ス		 se
セ		 so
ソ
ta
た		 chi
ち		 tsu
つ		 te
て		 to
と		 ta
タ		 chi
チ		 tsu
ツ		 te
テ		 to
ト
na
な		 ni
に		 nu
ぬ		 ne
ね		 no
の		 na
ナ		 ni
ニ		 nu
ヌ		 ne
ネ		 no
ノ
ha
は		 hi
ひ		 fu
ふ		 he
へ		 ho
ほ		 ha
ハ		 hi
ヒ		 fu
フ		 he
ヘ		 ho
ホ
ma
ま		 mi
み		 mu
む		 me
め		 mo
も		 ma
マ		 mi
ミ		 mu
ム		 me
メ		 mo
モ
ya
や		 i
い		 yu
ゆ		 e
え		 yo
よ		 ya
ヤ		 i
イ		 yu
ユ		 e
エ		 yo
ヨ
ra
ら		 ri
り		 ru
る		 re
れ		 ro
ろ		 ra
ラ		 ri
リ		 ru
ル		 re
レ		 ro
ロ ​
wa
わ		 i
ゐ		 u
う		 e
ゑ		 (w)o
を		 wa
ワ		 i
ヰ		 u
ウ		 e
エ		 (w)o
ヲ
(n)
ん		 (n)
ン
————— —————
ga
が		 gi
ぎ		 gu
ぐ		 ge
げ		 go
ご		 ga
ガ		 gi
ギ		 gu
グ		 ge
ゲ		 go
ゴ
za
ざ		 ji
じ		 zu
ず		 ze
ぜ		 zo
ぞ		 za
ザ		 ji
ジ		 zu
ズ		 ze
ゼ		 zo
ゾ
da
だ		 ji
ぢ		 zu
づ		 de
で		 do
ど		 da
ダ		 ji
ヂ		 zu
ヅ		 de
デ		 do
ド
ba
ば		 bi
び		 bu
ぶ		 be
べ		 bo
ぼ		 ba
バ		 bi
ビ		 bu
ブ		 be
ベ		 bo
ボ
pa
ぱ		 pi
ぴ		 pu
ぷ		 pe
ぺ		 po
ぽ		 pa
パ		 pi
ピ		 pu
プ		 pe
ペ		 po
ポ

Often a letter itself is a word: (と) = to = and.

Many words are combination of letters: (はい) = hai = yes.

Japanese Romanization

There are at present three schools of romanizing the Japanese language: the Hepburn System, the Japan System, and the recent Investigation Commission System. It is to be emphasized that these are but three methods of representing the same pronunciation. The Hepburn System is used in this manual.

​

Hepburn System

A I U E O
KA KI KU KE KO
SA SHI SU SE SO
TA CHI TSU TE TO
NA NI NU NE NO
HA HI FU HE HO
MA MI MU ME MO
YA I YU E YO
RA RI RU RE RO
WA I U E O
(N)
​
GA GI GU GE GO
ZA JI ZU ZE ZO
DA JI ZU DE DO
BA BI BU BE BO
PA PI PU PE PO
​
KYA KYU KYO
SHA SHU SHO
CHA CHU CHO
NYA NYU NYO
HYA HYU HYO
MYA MYU MYO
RYA RYU RYO
GYA GYU GYO
JA JU JO
JA JU JO
BYA BYU BYO
PYA PYU PYO
Japan System I. C. System
A I U E O A I U E O
KA KI KU KE KO KA KI KU KE KO
SA SI SU SE SO SA SI SU SE SO
TA TI TU TE TO TA TI TU TE TO
NA NI NU NE NO NA NI NU NE NO
HA HI HU HE HO HA HI HU HE HO
MA MI MU ME MO MA MI MU ME MO
YA I YU E YO YA I YU E YO ​
RA RI RU HE RO RA RI RU HE RO
WA I U E O WA I U E O
(N) (N)
​
GA GI GU GE GO GA GI GU GE GO
ZA ZI ZU ZE ZO ZA ZI ZU ZE ZO
DA DI DU DE DO DA ZI ZU DE DO
BA BI BU BE BO BA BI BU BE BO
PA PI PU PE PO PA PI PU PE PO
​
KYA KYU KYO KWA
SYA SYU SYO
TYA TYU TYO
NYA NYU NYO
HYA HYU HYO
MYA MYU MYO
RYA RYU RYO
GYA GYU GYO GWA
ZYA ZYU ZYO
DYA DYU DYO
BYA BYU BYO
PYA PYU PYO
KYA KYU KYO
SYA SYU SYO
TYA TYU TYO
NYA NYU NYO
HYA HYU HYO
MYA MYU MYO
RYA RYU RYO
GYA GYU GYO
ZYA ZYU ZYO
ZYA ZYU ZYO
BYA BYU BYO
PYA PYU PYO

a. The following sets should be pronounced exactly the same:

Hepburn I. C. System
shi si
chi ti
tsu tu
fu hu
ji zi
sha sya
shu syu
sho syo
cha tya

b. The following sets should be pronounced exactly the same:

Chōsen Tyōsen
Fujisan Huzisan
Shichiro Fuchino Sitiro Hutino
Shōzō Tsurumi Syōzō Turumi
​

Japanese and Western Chronology
Compared

There are two methods used in Japanese chronology, one according to eras and the other going back to the beginning of the country. The first year of the traditional calendar, although historically not authentic, is dated 660 B.C. This knowledge may be of some help in determining one’s age, date of birth, date of manufacture of war implements, etc.

By Eras Trad. Western
Meiji 01 2528 1868
02 2529 1869
03 2530 1870
04 2531 1871
05 2532 1872
06 2533 1873
07 2534 1874
08 2535 1875
09 2536 1876
10 2537 1877
11 2538 1878
12 2539 1879
13 2540 1880
14 2541 1881
15 2542 1882
16 2543 1883
17 2544 1884
18 2545 1885
19 2546 1886
20 2547 1887
21 2548 1888
22 2549 1889
23 2550 1890
24 2551 1891
25 2552 1892
26 2553 1893
27 2554 1894
28 2555 1895
29 2556 1896
30 2557 1897
31 2558 1898
32 2559 1899
33 2560 1900
34 2561 1901
35 2562 1902
36 2563 1903
37 2564 1904
38 2565 1905
39 2566 1906
40 2567 1907
41 2568 1908
42 2569 1909
43 2570 1910
44 2571 1911
Meiji 45 2572 1912
Taishō 01
02 2573 1913
03 2574 1914
04 2575 1915
05 2576 1916
06 2577 1917
07 2578 1918
08 2579 1919
09 2580 1920 ​
10 2581 1921
11 2582 1922
12 2583 1923
13 2584 1924
14 2585 1925
Taishō 15 2586 1926
Shōwa 01
02 2587 1927
03 2588 1928
04 2589 1929
05 2590 1930
06 2591 1931
07 2592 1932
08 2593 1933
09 2594 1934
10 2595 1935
11 2596 1936
12 2597 1937
13 2598 1938
14 2599 1939
15 2600 1940
16 2601 1941
17 2602 1942
18 2603 1943

To change from the Era calendar to the Western, remember: 1867 + Meiji x; 1911 + Taishō x; 1925 + Shōwa x. For example: Meiji 10 = 1867 + 10 = 1877; Taishō 10 = 1911 + 10 = 1921; Shōwa 10 = 1925 + 10 = 1935. To change from the Trad. calendar to the Western, subtract 660.

Meiji 45 = Taishō 1; Taishō 15 = Shōwa 1.
17-3-5 = Shōwa 17 - March 5 = 3-5-1942.
2-6-20 = 2602-6-20 = 6-20-1942.

Numerals and Time

Numerals:

Although we are not interested in the study of the written Japanese, it would be advisable to learn the numerals in characters for practical purposes.

Both the Chinese and the Japanese ways of counting the first ten numerals are used. Zero is an exception.

​

Kun (Japanese) On (Chinese)
00 (〇) rei
01 (一) hitotsu ichi
02 (二) futatsu ni
03 (三) mittsu san
04 (四) yottsu shi
05 (五) itsutsu go
06 (六) muttsu roku
07 (七) nanatsu shichi
08 (八) yattsu hachi
09 (九) kokonotsu ku
10 (十) tō jū

Japanese way is used for single numbers and the Chinese way is used as “enumeratives.” Itsutsu = five; Go-nin = five people. From eleven on, the numbers are counted only in the Chinese way:

11 (十一) jūichi
12 (十二) jūni
13 (十三) jūsan
14 (十四) jūshi
15 (十五) jūgo
16 (十六) jūroku
17 (十七) jūshichi
18 (十八) jūhachi
19 (十九) jūku
20 (二十) nijū
30 (三十) sanjū
40 (四十) shijū
50 (五十) gojū
100 (一一百) hyaku
1,000 (一一千) sen
10,000 (一一万) man
100,000 (十万) jūman
1,000,000 (百万) hyakuman
20=2-10=nijū=二十 (二〇)

Time:

a. Time of the day:

time jikan
o’clock ji
minute fun (pun)
second byō
a. m. gozen
p. m. gogo

​b. Days of the week:

Sunday Nichiyō
Monday Getsuyō
Tuesday Kayō
Wednesday Suiyō
Thursday Mokuyō
Friday Kinyō
Saturday Doyō

c. Months of the year:

January Ichigatsu
February Nigatsu
March Sangatsu
April Shigatsu
May Gogatsu
June Rokugatsu
July Shichigatsu
August Hachigatsu
September Kugatsu
October Jūgatsu
November Jūichigatsu
December Jūnigatsu

d. Days of the month: The first ten days are counted in both the pure Japanese way and the Chinese way. However, from the 11th, usually the Chinese way is used.

01st tsuitachi; ichinichi
02nd futsuka; ninichi
03rd mikka; sannichi
04th yokka
05th itsuka; gonichi
06th muika; rokunichi
07th nanuka; shichinichi
08th yōka; hachinichi
09th kokonoka; kunichi
10th tōka
11th jūichinichi
14th jūyokka
20th hatsuka; nijūnichi
30th sanjūnichi

​e. Number of months is counted in both the pure Japanese and Chinese ways:

Kun (Japanese) On (Chinese)
one month hitotsuki ikkagetstu
two months futatsuki nikagetsu
three months mitsuki sankagetsu
four months yotsuki shikagetsu
five months itsutsuki gokagetsu
six months mutsuki rokkagetsu
seven months nanatsuki shichikagetsu
eight months yatsuki hakkagetsu
nine months kokonotsuki kukagetsu
ten months totsuki jikkagetsu
eleven months jūikkagetsu
twelve months jūnikagetsu

How To Recognize Japanese Writing

Learn to read the following writing which may enable one to recognize numerals and dates on metal pieces, engines, etc., of the Japanese military tools.

a. Numbers written from left to right:
三四五一六七 345167
四七八二九一 478291
六二〇二四九 620249
b. Numbers written vertically:
四
九
九
〇
一 		三
〇
四
七
六 		二
九
八
八
〇
•
四
三
八
二
九
九
 4
9
9
0
1		   3
0
4
7
6		   2
9
8
8
0		  
 • 
4
3
8
2
9
9

​

c. Dates:
1. 17-4-12 = 17th year of Shōwa - April 12th
1. 17-4-12 = April 12, 1942
2. 2-8-14 = Year 2602 (traditional) - August 14th
2. 2-8-14 = August 14, 1942

As explained in Japanese and Western Chronology Compared, page 46, the Japanese use two types of calendars, the era and the traditional. The order of writing is always: year - month - date. Therefore, common sense tells one that 17 in the first example refers to the 17th year of Shōwa (1942), and 2 in the second example represents the last unit of the traditional year 2602 (1942).

3.
昭和 15 年 3 月 2 日
Shōwa 15th yr.
1940 		3rd month
March 		2nd day
2
note:  1st two characters = Shōwa
3rd character = year
4th character = month
5th character = date

Table of Money, Weights and Measures

a. Money:*

01 rin 01/10 cent
01 sen 01 cent
05 sen 05 cents
10 sen 10 cents
20 sen 20 cents
50 sen 50 cents
01 yen 01 dollar

*Not corresponding value, but corresponding units.

b. Weights:

1 monme 0.1325 oz.
1 kin 1 lb.*
1 kan 8.28 lbs.
​
1 guramu 1 gramme
1 kiro (kiroguramu) 1 kilogramme
1 pondo 1 pound
1 ton 1 ton

*Corresponding unit.

​c. Capacity:

1 gō 00.4 pts.
1 shō 02 qts.
1 tō 04 gals.
1 koku 40 gals. (5 bushels)
d. Square measure:
1 tsubo 36 sq. ft.
1 bu same
1 se 1080 sq. ft.
1 tan 0.245 acres
1 chō 2.5 acres

e. Linear measure:

1 bu 0*1/10 in.
1 sun 0*1 in.
1 shaku 0*1 ft.
1 ken 006 ft.
1 chō 120 yds.
1 ri 002.44 mi.
​
1 miri (mirimētoru) 1 m. m.
1 senchi (senchimētoru) 1 c. m.
1 mētoru 1 meter
1 kiro (kiromētoru) 1 k. m.
1 mairu 1 mile
1 notto 1 knot

*Corresponding unit.

f. Percentage:

1 bu 01%
1 wari 10%
Therefore,
1 wari 5 bu = 15%
5 wari = 50%

Branches of the Armed Forces

color of collar
badges
Army Rikugun
Navy Kaigun
Air Force Kūgun
Marine Corps Rikusentai
Military Police Kenpei black
Infantry Hohei scarlet
Cavalry Kihei light green
Artillery Hōhei yellow
Engineer Kōhei brown
Aviation Kōkūhei light blue
Commissariat Shichōhei deep blue
Paymaster Keiri silver tea
Medical Eisei dark green
Veterinary Jūi purple
​

Army (Rikugun)

a. Ranks:
Officers Shikan
General Taishō
Lieut-General Chūshō (Chūjō)
Major-General Shōshō
Colonel Taisa
Lieut-Colonel Chūsa
Major Shōsa
Captain Taii
First Lieutenant Chūi
Second Lieutenant Shōo
N.C.O. Kashikan
Warrant Officer Tokumu Sōchō
Sergeant-Major Sōchō
Sergeant Gunsō
Corporal Gochō
​
Privates Hei
​
Superior Private Jōtōhei
F. C. Private Ittōhei
S. C. Private Nitōhei
​
b. Units:
Division Shidan
Brigade Ryodan
Regiment Rentai
Battalion Daitai
Company Chūtai
Platoon Shōtai
Squad Buntai
Unit of indefinite size Butai
Corps Gundan (Heidan)
Air (Kūgun)
a. Units:
Wing Rentai
Group Daitai
Squadron Chūtai
Division Shōtai
Section Buntai
Navy (Kaigun)
a. Units:
Officers Shikan
Admiral Taishō
V-Admiral Chūshō (Chūjō)
Rear-Admiral Shōshō
Captain Taisa
N.C.O.; Seamen* Kashikan; Suihei
Chief War. O. Heisōchō
Chief Petty O. Ittō Heisō
Petty O., 1/C Nitō Heisō
Petty O., 2/C Santō Heisō ​
Commander Chūsa
Lieut-Commander Shōsa
Lieutenant Taii
Lieutenant (j.g.) Chūi
Ensign Shōi
Petty O., 3/C Ittō Suihei
Seaman, 1/C Nitō Suihei
Seaman, 2/C Santō Suihei
Seaman, 3/C Shitō Suihei
​
b. Warships:
battleship senkan
battle cruiser junyō-senkan
cruiser junyōkan
aircraft carrier kōkū-bokan
seaplane tender suijōki-bokan
submarine sensuikan
mine layer fusetsukan
gunboat hōkan
destroyer kuchikukan
torpedo boat suiraitei
mine sweeper sōkaitei
transport unsōsen
oil tanker yusōsen
survey ship sokuryōkan
ice breaker saihyōsen
target ship hyōteki-kan
repair ship kōsakusen
​
c. Units:
Fleet Kantai
Squadron Sentai
Division Buntai
​
Convoy Gosōsendan

*These are corresponding ranks and not the translation of ranks.

“Japanized” English

In speaking to a prisoner, first see whether he understands English. All officers will understand some English; men in the ranks may not. However, every Japanese has quite a large vocabulary of English pronounced in the “Japanized” way. This is especially true of popular ​nouns. Therefore, one may sometimes be able to make himself understood if he uses English in the Japanese way. Here is a list of some examples:

English
k ending sound ku
book; tank; mask bukku; tanku; masuku
s ending sound su
pass; gas pasu; gasu
t ending sound to
point; tent pointo; tento
n ending sound n
pen; pin pen; pin
f ending sound fu
knife; wife naifu; waifu
m ending sound mu
room; come rūmu; kamu
l, r ending sound ru
beer; doctor; pistol bīru; dokutoru; pisutoru
d ending sound do
pound; ground pondo; guraundo
p ending sound pu
lamp; stop ranpu; sutoppu
g ending sound gu
king; song kingu; songu
y ending sound e
party; empty pāte; emute

a. There are no consonants l, q, v, or x. Therefore, make the following substitutions when these consonants occur in a word: l = r; q = k; v = b; x = (x).[1]

b. One must always remember to put a vowel after each consonant or consonant sound of English:

America Amerika
Roosevelt Rōzuberuto
baseball bēsubōru
gas-mask gasu masuku
milk miruku
​

Japanese Prefectures

  • 27 Wakayama
  • 28 Ōsaka
  • 29 Hyōgo
  • 30 Tottori
  • 31 Okayama
  • 32 Shimane
  • 33 Hiroshima
  • 34 Yamaguchi
  • 35 Tokushima
  • 36 Kagawa
  • 37 Kōchi
  • 38 Ehime
  • 39 Fukuoka
  • 40 Ōita
  • 41 Saga
  • 42 Nagasaki
  • 43 Kumamoto
  • 44 Miyazaki
  • 45 Kagoshima
  • 46 Okinawa
  • 01 Aomori
  • 02 Akita
  • 03 Iwato
  • 04 Yamagata
  • 05 Miyagi
  • 06 Niigata
  • 07 Fukushima
  • 08 Ibaraki
  • 09 Tochigi
  • 10 Gunma
  • 11 Chiba
  • 12 Saitama
  • 13 Tokyo
  • 14 Kanagawa
  • 15 Yamanashi
  • 16 Nagano
  • 17 Toyama
  • 18 Ishikawa
  • 19 Gifu
  • 20 Shizuoka
  • 21 Aichi
  • 22 Fukui
  • 23 Shiga
  • 24 Mie
  • 25 Kyōto
  • 26 Nara
​

Symbols and Map Reading

The following symbols have been copied from the maps drawn by Dainippon Teikoku Rikuchi Sokuryōbu (Imperial Japanese Land Surveying Bureau), 1935:

signal station
manufactory
powder-magazine
power plant
embankment
ditch
stone steps
oil well
chimney
spring
volcano
mineral spring
material dump
mine
shrine
temple
church
gov’t office
foreign gov’t office
army jurisdiction
navy jurisdiction
divisional headquarters
bridge headquarters
fortress and garrison headquarters
regimental headquarters
naval base
army and navy housing
prefectural capital
district office
municipal office
school
hospital
military police
police station
custom house
weather bureau
post, telegraph, telephone office
post office
telegraph office
telephone office
wireless antenna
national highway
important prefectural road
Local Roads—
(over 3 meters wide)
(over 2 meters wide)
(over 1 meter wide)
path (less that 1 meter wide)
railway
special railway
lighthouse
buoy
ferryboat station

​

railway bridge
wooden bridge
foot bridge
ford
ford for vehicle crossing
temporary bridge
steamer ferry

town
village

​dry rice-fields
paddy
swamp
orchard
grass land
broad-leaved trees

needle-leaf trees

  1. ↑ x= (x) Use sound that is closest to sound of x in that English word.
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