Golden Kite Shussei Nobori

[bestmsdt]

I have this nice, if rather time-worn, shussei nobori. Rather than the usual flags or similar it has the emblem of the Golden Kite award. Would this signify that the person heading off to war was a veteran who had previously earned this award?
Cheers,
Tony

[Nick Komiya]

No, the Golden Kite was merely used to represent the wish for "Everlasting Fortune in Battle" and was a common feature on Nobori.

[bestmsdt]

Thanks Nick. Read all through your article to find out about the award itself prior to posting!
Cheers,
Tony

[bestmsdt]

Been having a go at reading this banner. Think I've got the name:
Matsuo Kinnosuke
The donator is a bit tougher. Think I've got the kanji bar the third one:
神戸?銅所門司工場第四六工場事務所--司 Reading something like: koobe ? dooshomonshi koojoo dai yon roku koojoo jimusho isshi

The real meaning I need help with. I assume that the first part is actually a company name, as in Kobe Copper or Brass something. Then we have factory number 46, factory office something.

Any help appreciated. I lived in Kobe for a bit over a year. Might still be there if the earthquake hadn't happened in 1995, was happy there. Went to bed in one world and woke up in another (more correctly, was woken up).

Cheers,
Tony

[ghp95134]

神戶製鋼所門司工場第四六工場事務 所一同
Kōbe Seikōjo Moji Kōjō Dai 46 Kōjō JimuSho Ichidō
Kobe Steel Works Moji Factory No. 46 Business Office, From Everyone

"From everyone in the business office at Kobe Steel Works Moji Factory #46"

Or words to that effect .....

-- Guy

(If I don't put a space between 務 and 所 I get the "diamonds from hell" � �.)

[bestmsdt]

Hi Guy,

Thanks for your translation. I can forgive myself for flunking the third and fourth characters, but getting the last one wrong was sloppy!

So actually it was not Kobe at all but Moji on Kyushu. In looking at this I came upon the data below about B29 raids. The Moji Plant is listed as target number 46, so does this in fact mean that all factories in Japan had a national allocated number which the US based its target numbers on, or is this just a big coincidence?

If the factories did have allocated numbers, when did this system start?

Cheers,
Tony

[ghp95134]

Absolutely no idea! (^__^)

[bestmsdt]

Re the number 46, on reflection it must be a big coincidence. There would have been tens of thousands of factories, and I see that the list of bombing targets has Osaka Harbor with number 53 which doesn't really square with my thought on factory numbers!
Cheers,
Tony