A collection completed!
Well, sort of. Aside from collecting Japanese paper items, I also collect items related to Japan's pre-war economic and colonial expansion period. One part of that expansion was embodied by the company known as NKKK, or Nan'Yo Kohatsu Kabukshiki Kaisha (South Seas Development, Inc.). They were found in many of the areas where Japan expanded, including Palau, Indonesia, the Philippines, and the Marianas. NKKK focused on sugar cane harvesting and refining in the Marianas, building refineries on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota. They shipped sugar back to Japan, and brought Japanese civilians to the Marianas to work for them.
Many NKKK company items were brought back by returning US personnel as souvenirs after the invasions of Tinian and Saipan. Items included paperwork, employee caps, pictures, and the company marked tags pictured below. Often confused for "dog tags" these company tags are somewhat of a mystery to me as to their purpose. I am leaning toward equipment or "check out" tags used by company employees. The three tags come from each of the three refineries that the NKKK built in the Marianas: Rota (circular tag), Tinian (rectangular tag) and Saipan ("lozenge" shaped tag). All tags are marked in the same way with the island named, for example Rota Sugar Refinery, with the next line being NKKK. The reverse has the first katakana of the island name, for example "RO" (for Rota) and a number. The Saipan and Tinian examples have "SA" and "TE", along with a number, marked on the back of their tags. I was extremely lucky to have recently been able to find a Rota example, since this refinery was closed well before the invasions in 1944, and Rota was a by-passed island during the war. Very satisfying to actually "complete" a collection, so to speak, small as it is. If anyone has NKKK items in their collections, particularly worker caps/uniforms and company flags, I would be very interested in seeing pictures, if possible. Thanks for your time!
.
Bookmarks