WW2 Japanese canteen

[Swords]

Hi you all I have this canteen in my Collection but didn’t know what the kaji mean 

Any help would be appreciated 

 

 

Steve 

 

[uwe]

Let’s start with the far right, an address…

“碓水郡”, 坂本町, 群馬懸” (Usui gun, Sakamotomachi, Gunma ken?) Not sure about the kanji after Gunma…

And there is “左藤” (Satou). Probably a name…

It’s late this evening, so I’ll leave the left two columns for someone else 🥱

 

[Swords]

That’s great Thanks for your help 

It would be crazy if i could match the name with his address and find out if any family members still live there

[Swords]

If anyone can translate the left 2 cullumns that might help shed light on the rest of it

 

 

Thanks 

[Swords]

I took 3 more pictures

left side

right side

middle

 

maybe I can get more translations other than what John C already did

 

 

Thank you 

 

 

steve

[Nobody]

These may be some life lessons.

水ハ苦クシテ求メヨ – Make the water bitter and drink it.

人ト人間ノ差 – The difference between a man and a human

 

The first part of this sentence is unclear.

波…ハ世ノ

常デ………………

任セテ雑魚ハ

歌ヒ雑魚ハ

オドル

サレド

誰ガ知ロウ

百尺下ノ

水ノ心ヲ

水ノ深サヲ

 

However, I know that this sentence is the last part of a novel “Miyamoto Musashi” written by Yoshikawa Eiji. The whole sentence must be like this.

 

波騒は世の常である　波に任せて泳ぎ上手に　雑魚は歌い　雑魚は踊る

けれど誰が知ろう　百尺下の水の心を水の深さを

- Waves and noises are the norm in the world. Let the waves go, swim well, the small fish sing, and the small fish dance. But who knows the heart and the depth of the water a hundred feet below.

[Swords]

Nobody Lots of in information I’m unsure if this was etched by the Japanese soldier during the war or possible it was done post war ?

Any for what reason? 

But i appreciate your time spent with this

 

 

Steve 

[Nobody]

I believe that the name and address were written by its original owner during WWII.

And other writings look like the same handwriting. He had his own philosophy.

[Swords]

Got it

 

I have had this canteen for years and never knew what the meaning was

Got a Japanese soldier who was a philosopher 

 

Thanks so much 

[Swords]

I Nobody I did an AI interpretation and this is what it all means

AI Overview

 

 

 

The saying you've quoted, "Waves and noises are the norm in the world. Let the waves go, swim well, the small fish sing, and the small fish dance. But who knows the heart and the depth of the water a hundred feet below," appears to be a variation or interpretation of a quote by Eiji Yoshikawa

.

Here's an interpretation of its meaning:

• "Waves and noises are the norm in the world.": This refers to the constant ups and downs, challenges, and distractions that are an inherent part of life. The world is often seen as being full of noise and movement, representing the chaos, demands, and external pressures that individuals face.
• "Let the waves go, swim well, the small fish sing, and the small fish dance.": This part emphasizes the importance of resilience, adaptability, and even finding joy amidst life's challenges.
  • "Let the waves go, swim well": Suggests that instead of being overwhelmed by challenges, one should learn to navigate them effectively, to adapt and be resilient. The ability to "swim well" implies a capacity to handle whatever life throws at you, to find your way through difficult situations.
  • "The small fish sing, and the small fish dance": This imagery highlights finding moments of joy and celebration even in the midst of life's unpredictable nature. It encourages appreciating and embracing the simple pleasures of existence, like the carefree dance and song of the small fish.
• "But who knows the heart and the depth of the water a hundred feet below.": This alludes to the unspoken, hidden, or deeper aspects of life, emotions, or human experience that remain largely unknown or unexplored.
  • "The heart of the sea" or "depth of the water" in literature and various traditions often symbolizes the vastness of the unknown, the depths of emotion, and hidden challenges or complexities.
  • This phrase questions whether, even while navigating the surface of life and finding moments of joy, we truly understand the full extent of the difficulties, emotions, or realities that exist beneath the surface, within ourselves, and in the world around us. It reminds us that there's always more beneath the surface than what meets the eye, including untold struggles and depths of experience.

In essence, the saying suggests that while life presents its share of challenges and distractions (waves and noises), it's important to develop resilience and find joy within those circumstances. However, it also serves as a reminder that there's always a deeper, more profound reality beneath the surface that we may never fully comprehend, like the hidden depths of the ocean.

[Bazza]

Soon we can expect an answer to what '42' means...

 

BaZZa.

[robinalexander]

Baz, maybe Brian could simply post "42" as the final entry before locking threads 

 

 

 

 

PS... that's if your talkin Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

[Swords]

I found your answer to AI  42 

In Douglas Adams's renowned science fiction series 

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the number 42 is revealed as "the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything". 

However, the problem in the narrative is that while the answer (42) is known, the specific and ultimate question it answers remains a mystery. 

The phrase "Soon we can expect an answer to what '42' means" would therefore refer to  unraveling the ultimate question that corresponds to the answer 42. This involves figuring out the reason behind the number and its connection to the ultimate nature of existence, as explored in Adams' work. 

The irony and the search for meaning

• Deep Thought's revelation: The supercomputer Deep Thought was created specifically to calculate this ultimate answer, and it took 7.5 million years to come up with 42.
• The missing question: The narrative highlights the absurdity of having the answer without understanding the question. It suggests that asking the right question is often the most challenging part of solving a problem.
• Earth's role: The planet Earth itself was actually a giant, super-powerful computer designed to calculate the ultimate question, but it was destroyed five minutes before completing its program.
• Enduring speculation: Despite Douglas Adams's own statement that he chose the number arbitrarily, as a joke, fans have continued to speculate and find connections to the number 42 in various contexts. 

In essence, "expecting an answer to what '42' means" signifies the ongoing search for meaning and the understanding of the Universe, a central theme within The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and a topic that resonates with many in popular culture. 

 

[ROKUJURO]

On 8/17/2025 at 5:19 PM, Swords said:

.....I’m unsure if this was etched by the Japanese soldier.....

You can be sure this was not etched. It was scratched.

[Swords]

I should have used the word scratch not etched 

Thanks for pointing this out