Japanese translation please

[maddys52]

Hello, would anyone be able to translate the Japanese on these 2 photos please? And also wondering if the date is 8 July 1950 or 7 August 1950? (not sure which way Japanese dating system went in 1950).

[jayaygee]

My Japanese daughter-in-law sent the following reply regarding the translation:

1st "Hakone Atami Sightseeing Memorial July 8, 1950" 2nd "At Jukkokutoge July 8, 1950" The letters written on the side of the bus in the photo are "Kokusai Kogyo Co., Ltd. Sightseeing Motors" Club "I think

[maddys52]

Thank you so much jayaygee, and thank your daughter in law too!

I recently watched a show about a relay running race in Hakone, fascinating to think my grandfather was there in 1950. 

[Karen McDonald]

Hi Maddy,

jayaygee (& D-i-L) have already answered your query, but I have finally received a reply from a dear ex-colleague in Japan and thought it only fair to share her response with you.

She has basically written the same as jayaygee's D-i-L, but with a little more detail. Here we go:

First one, the bottom shows “Hakone-Atami(city names)  sightseeing memorial   1950 July 8th”

The second photo shows “At Jukkokutōge(This is between Hakone and Atami)  1950 July 8th” and on the bus shows  “Kokusai Kogyo Co.,Ltd. Tourist vehicles department”

These 2photos were not taken in Osaka-city, I think the group traveled from Osaka to Hakone and Atami, which are very traditional sightseeing places in Japan. Osaka is west of Japan and Hakone and Atami are east of Japan. This seems to be a company in Osaka recreation trip. I am very interesting what company this is.

  So if you do ever find out what company this is/was, please feel free to let me know and I'll pass it on. 

All the best,
Karen

[maddys52]

Thank you Karen for going to so much trouble! And thank your friend for me too!

My grandfather worked for Simonius Vischer and Co, a wool buying company based in Basel, Switzerland, but with offices in Australia, New Zealand and Brazil, and maybe some others, though I haven't been able to find any in Japan. He definitely went on a business trip to Japan in 1950, I may be mistaken in thinking the place was Osaka, and I'm really not sure what sort of business the firm may have been doing in Japan.

Along with the souvenir photos are these 2 photos which have "Osaka July 1950" written on the back. Sadly, I can't really see anything in them which helps identify the location or nature of the office.

Fell free to send them to your friend if you think she will be interested. 

[maddys52]

Just looking in Australian newspapers of the time, and maybe he was involved in selling wool to Japan? eg this shipment was exported, leaving Melbourne in April 1950.

 Daily Commercial News and Shipping List
Wed 17 May 1950

[Karen McDonald]

Hi Maddy,

I've been doing a bit of googling. 

Simonius, Vischer and Co. did indeed buy and sell wool. Australia was apparently a major source. The wool had to then be cleaned and processed before being sent on to the end customer.

An article from 1975 presents them, in flattering words, as a large company with an extremely long history:

https://www.e-periodica.ch/digbib/view?pid=txs-005:1975:510::382#382

It's in German, but I thought I'd link it anyway. 

It says that S, V & Co. had offices in Oz, NZ, Argentina and Europe and enjoyed an excellent reputation.

Thanks for the info - I'll pass that on to Kaori and see what she says.

[maddys52]

Thanks Karen. 

I have a copy of the book published in 1969 "Two and a half centuries in the international wool trade : Simonius, Vischer & Co., 1719-1969"  by Gustav Adolf Wanner (which is inscribed to my grandfather) - so know a fair amount about the company and its history.

 

It says that S, V & Co. had offices in Oz, NZ, Argentina and Europe and enjoyed an excellent reputation.

Apparently the Sydney office was involved in a bit of a financial scandal in the 1960s (quite a bit about it on-line though it gets somewhat technical), however (fortunately) my grandfather had retired before then.