Topic: Kongo written in Hiragana (Read 1733 times)

raflaunches · « **on:** March 07, 2023, 09:23:03 am »

An unusual request:

I’m not a Japanese language reader but I’m researching a future project of the battlecruiser Kongo 1914. The name is written on the stern walk hand rail but I can’t make out the first two characters clearly and the internet has different characters to what is in this picture. Does anyone what the characters are for Kongo in hiragana are please?
Many thanks.

jaymac · « **Reply #1 on:** March 07, 2023, 10:32:21 am »

Presume you have seen this interesting designed and built in Britain

http://www.modelwarships.com/reviews/ships/ijn/bb/Kongo-700-ka/FlyHawk-Review.html

raflaunches · « **Reply #2 on:** March 07, 2023, 10:38:45 am »

Hi Jaymac

Yes that’s the ship. I’ve got that kit too but as you can see the characters used on the box don’t match the photo. I think I can see what the two closest to the camera are but the two further away aren’t clear enough to match.
I hope to make a 1/96 scale model one day but getting accurate info on the Kongo as built isn’t as easy as you’d think. Managed to source some PDF plans but it’s the little things are harder to identify.

T888 · « **Reply #3 on:** March 07, 2023, 11:54:50 am »

Have you looked at Japanese Battleship Kongo: 5 (Kango Super Drawings in 3D) books

raflaunches · « **Reply #4 on:** March 07, 2023, 11:59:03 am »

Hi T888

No I hadn’t thought of that book. I’ll have a look as I’ve got a majority of the series of the 3D drawing books. That’s a good call. Many thanks

Umi_Ryuzuki · « **Reply #5 on:** March 07, 2023, 07:08:27 pm »

On many of the older ships of the Japanese Imperial Navy, the characters are read from right to left.
So while you might expect to read, こんご you might actually find うごんこ, with a U sound added to the left end.

It is very evident on the destroyers, where they splash the large white characters on the sides of the ship. It is read right to left.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_destroyer_Shimakaze_%281920%29#/media/File:IJN_Shimakaze_(Minekaze_class)_Taisho_11.jpg

tigertiger · « **Reply #6 on:** March 08, 2023, 06:34:19 am »

Just thinking at a tangent. Is it possible that the Japanese Navy had not adopted Hiragana at the time of this photo, and was still using Hentaigana?
I cannot see the script in the photo, and so I cannot compare.

tonyH · « **Reply #7 on:** March 08, 2023, 01:28:23 pm »

Early glass plate pic. I've assumed the text at the bottom is the Japanese for HIJMS Kongo and not just the photographer so may indicate something........or nothing

raflaunches · « **Reply #8 on:** March 08, 2023, 02:16:04 pm »

Hi Tiger

I’m not sure, I’m only going from the recently published book about the Kongo said it was written in but they also said that it was a clearly seen item on the stern walk! From what I do know that there are two different styles of katana in high and low types. I had hoped that the picture they provide in the book was clearer so I could see the characters better.

raflaunches · « **Reply #9 on:** March 08, 2023, 02:18:28 pm »

Hi Tony

Once again I don’t know enough either to say otherwise. Thanks for the picture of the early Kongo. I’d like to build Kongo as originally I was thinking of doing HMS Tiger but I’ve seen a model of that ship recently so I wanted to do something else but similar. So Kongo is the closest vessel to Tiger (they say they really are close sisters for two navies).

tonyH · « **Reply #10 on:** March 08, 2023, 03:26:48 pm »

Hi Nick,
It'll be fun deciding on which date and which iteration

dougal99 · « **Reply #11 on:** March 08, 2023, 05:32:16 pm »

I know less than nothing about japanese but google translate gives:

金剛Any help

JimG · « **Reply #12 on:** March 08, 2023, 08:36:15 pm »

Have you tried to PM Backerther as he is from Japan?

Colin Bishop · « **Reply #13 on:** March 08, 2023, 10:04:58 pm »

A bit of tail wagging the dog perhaps Nick! Build the model first and then worry about the labels.

The reality is that if you build it then absolutely no one is going to question what hieroglyphics are stuck onto the netting of the stern walk.

Kongo and Tiger were similar in many ways, not least their main gun layout and therei s still argument as to which influenced the other but as built I think Tiger was by far the best looking design before they shifted the mast aft. There are some interesting conjectures online looking at how Tiger might have been modernised for service in WW2. She would have been capable of seeing off Scharnhord or Gneisenau for example.

Personally I think Kongo looked better in her later configurations.

Colin

Phil22 · « **Reply #14 on:** March 09, 2023, 11:29:20 am »

Hi Nick,

To add to the comments made so far, I have another idea for the reading that my Japanese friend agrees is a strong possibility.
The ship is known as Kongou and also Konkau according to the Japanese Wiki page.

Kongou
-------
hiragana = こんごう
katakana = コンゴウ
kanji = 金剛

Konkau
-------
hiragana = こんかう
katakana = コンカウ

Being the starboard side, to me the characters in the photograph look like Konkau in reverse order but with each character still the correct way around reading: うかんこ

To help with any research of Japanese sites for images etc, along with the ship's name you might want to try combinations of these search terms in Google (each separated by a space):

photograph = shashin 写真
history = rekishi 歴史
battleship = senkan 戦艦
warship = gunkan 軍艦

Hope this helps,
Phil

raflaunches · « **Reply #15 on:** March 09, 2023, 11:40:14 am »

Hi Phil

Thank you for the response, that’s extremely helpful.

Backerther · « **Reply #16 on:** March 09, 2023, 03:20:48 pm »

Nick;

I perfectly agree to Phil's explanation on the Kongou(your spelling;Kongo)
In Hiragana spelling; こんかうis correct.　You have to pronounce it Kongo(English-like) or Kongou(Japanese- like)
However, writing at stern has to be うかんこ which is reverse to normal spelling in present days.
In any case,Hiragana name of こんかうis pronounced "Konkau" literally in true meaning, and could never be read Kongou nor Kongo presently.
This spelling of こんかうwas based on the old Japanese syllabary characters used until 1946.　
So, to conclude; you should write うかんこat stern(as seen in the Nick's pic) and pronounce or write it Kongo (or Kongou).
All of these spellings and pronunciation was from pre-war days style and was abolished ,renewed around 1946

Backerther

Geoff · « **Reply #17 on:** March 09, 2023, 03:23:35 pm »

Wow, what an interesting question. Sorry Nick, I have nothing to add but I do have plans of Kongo in her original configuration and later configurations drawn to a length of 65cm. They are copies of the original plans in a book I inherited, I have never seen another copy - it has plans of nearly all the Japanese battleships, cruisers and carriers since Mikasa!

I'll post some pictures shortly.

Cheers

Geoff

raflaunches · « **Reply #18 on:** March 09, 2023, 03:28:17 pm »

Hi Backerther

Thank you for explaining everything, and confirming the spelling and pronunciation. I don’t like to put wrong names or say the name incorrectly on any of my models as I think it doesn’t look or sound respectful to the nation’s that built or operated the ship in question.
I shall write down the correct name and spelling in my research folder for future reference.
Many thanks once again.

Nick

raflaunches · « **Reply #19 on:** March 09, 2023, 03:30:18 pm »

Hi Geoff

I’d be most grateful to see the plans in her original layout. I’ve got a PDF from a Facebook friend in America but isn’t easy to print them off without the correct printers or program.
Look forward to seeing you again soon.

Geoff · « **Reply #20 on:** March 09, 2023, 03:37:49 pm »

Pictures

raflaunches · « **Reply #21 on:** March 09, 2023, 03:51:30 pm »

Many thanks Geoff. I shall peruse these at my leisure.

Geoff · « **Reply #22 on:** March 09, 2023, 03:52:24 pm »

Perhaps Phil's friend can tell me about the book as strangely enough I've never been able to read the txt!!

Cheers

Geoff

P.S. Nick I've sent you an e-mail

Backerther · « **Reply #23 on:** March 10, 2023, 04:35:21 am »

You seem to have a very useful and technical book of IJN warships, judging from very famous names of editorial staffs
in the publishing committee seen in the above pic.
They are mostly warship designers /technical staffs of IJN arsenals until the end of WW2.
The names even I know in the pic are;
牧野茂　　Shigeru Makino,　Very famous as a designing staff of IJN battleship Yamato Chief of the above committee 堀元美　Motoyoshi　Hori, ex-warship technical officer of IJN
　福井静夫　Shizuo　Hukui , ex-warship designing officer of IJN
The publishing company　(原書房　Harashobo）is also very famous even now, especially in the fields of war and diplomatic histories of Japan.

Backerther

Geoff · « **Reply #24 on:** March 10, 2023, 10:40:48 am »

Thank you, Backerther, now I know a little more about the book. My father acquired it about 50 plus years ago as he always had an interest in the Japanese navy. He had some Japanese contacts through business in those days. I seem to recall as a child it was very expensive even then!

I rather think there would have been a very limited production run. I've tried to look it up in the past but never found anything. It has similar plans including Battleships, includes plans for the projected Amagi class, carriers, heavy cruisers, seaplane tenders, destroyers, submarines and even the odd gunboat!

It does include Yamato but externally more of a sketch but does provide detailed internal plans. Its an interesting book as they are clearly copies of original plans which were thought to have been destroyed.

Cheers

Geoff

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