Japanese text

[GR2]

I wonder if anyone would be able to translate this Japanese text for me? Thanks.

[AlanBoyd]

The third line (left to right) is “soldier”.

Is there any reason to believe this document has something to do with archery?

Added: the kanji that are used for soldier here seem to be a little unusual: it translates as “military man” but the first kanji carries a meaning by itself that might be warrior or officer. The second kanji is “man”.

[GR2]

Thanks for your help. It's the cover for a series of drawings of samurai (and other?) soldiers, so what you say makes perfect sense.

[AlanBoyd]

The second line from the left is something like [confidence score on a 5 point scale]:

maybe wood (so could be Hayashi family/clan) [2]
water [5]
bundle [5]
wearing/attaching [3]
??
circle, in the sense of a range or zone [5]

It's tricky comparing these hand-drawn kanji to standard forms. I was thinking that bundle-wearing might be a quiver hence my question about archery.


added: I'm using a combination of my wife being a Japanese learner; automatic character recognition; and my love of puzzles. My wife has sent the image to a Japanese friend, so I hope we will get a definitive answer, and perhaps my attempts won't be too far off the mark.

[GR2]

Many thanks for your efforts. Five of the drawings do show men armed with bows and quivers along with swords.

Unfortunately one of the red seals is partly hidden under a character and the other is cut off at one side, so it might not be possible to use them to identify any artist or studio.

[AlanBoyd]

news from Japan:

Now reading right to left (which I think makes it pre-1945)

1 she can't read this at all
2 military man
3 costume wearing picture
4 [someone's name] stored by/belongs to

My thoughts:
I’m still convinced that bundle appears in line 3 so maybe 2+3 = a collection of pictures of soldiers. I’m not sure if she is referring to the seal when she says ‘someone’s name’.

Also Hayashi/wood and water at the top of line 3 –could this be the composition of paper? Or a brand/grade of paper.

So that’s all consistent with what you say that it is, but it doesn’t really add much I’m afraid.

[GR2]

Thanks very much indeed for all your efforts. Much appreciated