Japanese sake bottle and cups

[Alex W]

Hello everyone,

Recently picked up some more Japanese Sake cups and a bottle on another trip to Tokyo. I don't really know what to look for with these so I just got ones that were interesting to me. Hoping someone can translate for me and let me know if there's anything of note. Sorry for the images, I was struggling to get the right light. Any comments welcome.

Thanks
Alex



Cup 1


Cup 2

[Alex W]

Cup 3


Cup 4

[Alex W]

Cup 5

[Alex W]

Cup 6

[RussM]

Very nice collection. The bottle is stunning!

Regards

Russ

[Bruce Pennington]

Love it, great find! Love the gunto in the design on the bottle.

[TAHD2000]

Thats the way to go in the begining buy what pleases the eye! I love the bottle! :-)

[Alan M]

Very nice Alex , I really like the bottle along with the other guy's . I like the unusual framing round the artwork , of the Crane and the turtle , which are revered animals in Japanese culture . They believe it to be a mythical creature that can live for a thousand years , therefore representing Good Fortune and Longevity . They refer to it as "The Bird of Happiness" , the wings of the Crane were believed to carry souls up to Paradise . Similarly the Turtle is seen as a symbol of Longevity and Happiness .

[ghp95134]

The bottle commemorates the China Incident:
支那事変記念
Shina Jihen Kinen

One of the cups [Cup 2] — with a block of kanji — commemorates the Manchurian Incident:
満洲事変記念
歩三二　32d Inf.

The two cups with a wreath and star commemorate a soldier’s service in the Imperial Guards.

I’m on an iPhone so cannot multitask and better ID the cups for you at this time.

[ghp95134]

Cup 4.

除隊記念
Jotai Kinen
Discharge Commemoration

近歩二
2d Konoe Inf.