Someone recently gave me a set of six Japanese tea cups, together with
a bunch of japanese tea--it was their mother's, and she recently
passed away. She was Japanese, and the tea is all Japanese (other than
some darjeeling). Although I've been drinking chinese teas for most of
the past two years, I feel this is a sign for me to start drinking a
bit more japanese tea. So I've started with what I think is a bancha
and what I know to be sencha. The cups, though, are one of the
highlights of this unexpected tea windfall for me. I just wish I could
read the calligraphy. But while I can read some Chinese, I can't
figure Japanese out. And I can't read calligraphy anyway. If anyone
could help me, I'd be most appreciative. All cups have the same
characters: four relatively large ones and three small ones. I think
the four large ones appear to be kanji, and the other possibly
hiragana/kanji mixed. From my basic Chinese, I can tell that the first
character means "five", but the rest I am not sure about. I have some
fuzzy pictures, but my camera broke and I had to take these with my
webcam.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/19680476@N05/2111325919/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/19680476@N05/2111325923/

If anyone has any idea how to at least pronounce this, that'd be
great. If not, I will just enjoy them for what they are.

Cha Bing

cha bing > wrote:
> [ . . . ]I have some
> fuzzy pictures, but my camera broke and I had to take these with my
> webcam.
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/19680476@N05/2111325919/
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/19680476@N05/2111325923/
>
> If anyone has any idea how to at least pronounce this, that'd be
> great. If not, I will just enjoy them for what they are.

I'm sorry. They're too fuzzy for me to make out.

--
Nick. Support severely wounded and disabled Veterans and their families!
I've known US vets who served as far back as the Spanish American War. They
are all my heroes! Thank a Veteran and Support Our Troops. You are not
forgotten. Thanks ! ! ~Semper Fi~

On Dec 15, 11:35 am, cha bing > wrote:
> Someone recently gave me a set of six Japanese tea cups, together with
> a bunch of japanese tea--it was their mother's, and she recently
> passed away. She was Japanese, and the tea is all Japanese (other than
> some darjeeling). Although I've been drinking chinese teas for most of
> the past two years, I feel this is a sign for me to start drinking a
> bit more japanese tea. So I've started with what I think is a bancha
> and what I know to be sencha. The cups, though, are one of the
> highlights of this unexpected tea windfall for me. I just wish I could
> read the calligraphy. But while I can read some Chinese, I can't
> figure Japanese out. And I can't read calligraphy anyway. If anyone
> could help me, I'd be most appreciative. All cups have the same
> characters: four relatively large ones and three small ones. I think
> the four large ones appear to be kanji, and the other possibly
> hiragana/kanji mixed. From my basic Chinese, I can tell that the first
> character means "five", but the rest I am not sure about. I have some
> fuzzy pictures, but my camera broke and I had to take these with my
> webcam.
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/1968047...05/2111325923/
>
> If anyone has any idea how to at least pronounce this, that'd be
> great. If not, I will just enjoy them for what they are.
>
> Cha Bing

Can't read the small characters on the right clearly, maybe "ma tsu
something", but not sure at all

The kanji are "goemon", which is a name. The three hiragana probably
has something to do with the name too.

MarshalN
http://www.xanga.com/MarshalN

Thanks so much for helping me out. If anyone is willing to take
another look, I posted some new and much clearer pictures online at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/19680476@N05/

cha bing

cha bing > wrote:
> Thanks so much for helping me out. If anyone is willing to take
> another look, I posted some new and much clearer pictures online at:
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/19680476@N05/

Outstanding! I have sent that first picture to a Japanes lady of my
acquaintance, in London. I hope to hear back from her.

--
Nick. Support severely wounded and disabled Veterans and their families!
I've known US vets who served as far back as the Spanish American War. They
are all my heroes! Thank a Veteran and Support Our Troops. You are not
forgotten. Thanks ! ! ~Semper Fi~

cha bing > wrote:
> Thanks so much for helping me out. If anyone is willing to take
> another look, I posted some new and much clearer pictures online at:
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/19680476@N05/

Hi 'Cha Bing',

I sent the picture to my Japanese friend in London and got this reply:

"It looks like 'Ki-no-shi-ta Go-e-mo-n' which is a name of a person."

My experience has been that the large writing on the left is in Kanji,
while the smaller writing on the right is the same thing in katakana,
hiragana, or both.

HTH

--
Nick. Support severely wounded and disabled Veterans and their families!
I've known US vets who served as far back as the Spanish American War. They
are all my heroes! Thank a Veteran and Support Our Troops. You are not
forgotten. Thanks ! ! ~Semper Fi~