Japanese Dog Tag Translation Help

[Wedgehead30]

This tag was allegedly taken from a Japanese soldier on either Guadalcanal or Iwo Jima. But aren't they all....

All I can figure out is the blood type "A".

Can anyone tell me what the rest says? Or point me to a reference site or book so that I can translate / decode it?

Thanks,
Scott

[Stu W]

Interesting ... I've owned dozens of tags and seen many more but never one like that so cannot offer anything definitive but perhaps Guy will be along to assist with the translation.

Regards,
Stu

[MAP]

Stu, for you, what is different? The tag or the information? I only have a few so not much for me to compare to but not a type I've seen before either. I'm sure there are variations but I don't know enough. I've never seen one with the round hole only with the rectangular holes

Japanese Dog Tags

Michael

P.S. tried to get the wife to translate but she noted that it was mostly Japanese and not Kanji...so she couldn't help.

[Stu W]

Hi Michael,

I forgot that tomp is a member here. Now that I recall it I'm sure he'll get to the bottom of this as it's his area of expertise.

I'm used to this sort of tag ... Officer and EM



Regards,
Stu

[MAP]

Thanks Stu. Yes like mine as well.

[tomp]

Imo, I think that this tag might have been for personal use at most, but I am not making sense of the line of kanji(?). Some makes sense while others are hard to figure out. If there is any legitimacy to it, I feel that the full meaning would only be privy to the owner of the tag. There is no overt unit designation that would connect to to anything in the IJA that I know of. Just my two cents. For further information on IJA tags and their evolution, I would invite you (and anyone else interested) to visit WAF and read WAF member Nick Komiya's excellent write up on IJA tags. Lots of great information there about regulations, etc. on tags:

An Introduction to IJA dog tag specifications and regulations (1894-1945) - Wehrmacht-Awards.com Militaria Forums



PS - thanks, Stu. As always, thanks for the nod of support.


Tom

[MAP]

Awesome post Tom. Great thread over at WAF!

[Nick Komiya]

Sorry, but that is no dog tag and the characters are not Japanese, but North American Screwdriver Script. In short, a fake.