Back in December 2011, I posted a batch of photos taken by UH Professor Carey D. Miller during a 1937, pre-WWII trip to Japan.
Miller, the internationally-known nutritionist who established the Home Economics Department at the University of Hawaii, traveled to Japan to meet with colleagues and observe farming and cooking techniques.
![[text]](http://ilind.net/oldkine_images/japan-flyers-1937/source/image/2013_01_28_12_50_51-1.jpg)
Now I’ve found some other mementos from that trip while sorting my mother’s papers after her death at the end of January. These seem to be a series of ads about dining options on the Mikado Dining Car while traveling by train through Japan.
These are small, no more than 3×5, printed on fragile paper with wonderful art work.
I’ll have to await comments from readers who can translate from the Japanese for a more accurate assessment of what these represent.
–> See the collection of 1937 Japan train memorabilia.
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Ian,
Wonderful stuff.
Hokkaido locations identified, including my old neighborhood, Makomanai in Sapporo. Old, but not archaic, writing. Of course, lovely design.
Mark Levin
UH Law faculty
Lovely, your readers are grateful that your mother was a saver!
Those are pretty cool… They all look like notes about the dining car (dinner can be had now… stuff like that…). One appears to be a full menu… I’ll try and do some translations later.
Okay, here’s what I deciphered:
1.
Ala Carte From Now on Mikado Dining Car
Thank you for your patronage.
We are now serving meals (teishoku) and ala carte items (pippin ryouri).
We are awaiting you in the dining car.
Mikado Japanese Dining. (The dining car is located in the center of the train).
– the writing at the bottom appears to refer to the ranch in the drawing, but I can’t make out the specifics
2.
Tea.. Coffee
Coffee • Tea
Is now served
The dining car is now open
Mikado Restaurant
3.
Announcing (go annai)
Thank you for your patronage (this phrase is often used in commercial settings almost as a greeting). We are now serving beer and cider (cider, I suspect, being something more along the lines of a soft drink similar to 7-Up) cold as ice.
Please make your way to the restaurant (this is a pretty loose translation… there are some honorifics that I’m not sure of).
4. Thank you for waiting.
We are now open (literally- ‘there are seats available’)
Please come to the dining car (lit.- ‘we are waiting for you to use the restaurant’)
Mikado Japanese Dining
(the dining car is located in the center of the train)
– again, the writing at the bottom refers to the scene in the drawing, which I can’t read
5.
Announcing (lit. “information”)
Good Morning
Breakfast is now ready
Japanese food-
Miso soup, etc (sorry, can’t make that stuff out) – 40 sen (sen being a monetary denomination at the time)
Western food –
Ham and eggs, toast, coffee or tea – 50 sen
We are awaiting you in the dining room
Japanese Dining Mikado
6.
Announcing
Meals are now available
We are awaiting everyone’s arrival
Mikado Japanese Dining
(the dining car is located at the center of the train)
– the characters at lower right again refer to the scene in the background – some mountain?
7.
* this was scanned sideways
Menu
Sashimi – 35 sen
? – 20 sen
Miso Soup – 10 sen
? – 20 sen
Rice – 10 sen
? – 5 sen
Oyako don – 40 sen
Soup – 35 sen
Fried Fish – 30 sen
Omelette – 20 sen
Ham and Eggs – 35 sen
Ham Salad – 35 sen
Chicken Cutlet – 45 sen
Beef Steak – 50 sen
————–
Beef Cutlet – 40 sen
Ko-ru ? beef – 40 sen
Pork Cutlet – 30 sen
Curry Rice – 30 sen
Chicken Rice – 45 sen
Sandwich – 40 sen
Asparagus – 30 sen
Cheese – 25 sen
Coffee or tea – 10 sen
Bread and Butter – 10 sen
Sweets – 10 sen
(then something about fruit)
º We also sell Japanese and Western liquor (drinks), ?, cigarettes, postage stamps, (and some other stuff I can’t read)
º (this is also beyond my translation pay scale…)
º The dining car is located in the center of the train
8.
Announcement
Meals (snacks?) are now available
We are awaiting your arrival
Japanese Dining Mikado
(50 sen per person)
9.
* I’ll translate this in order of the section over the arrow, then beneath
Announcement
We have a variety of food and drink available in the dining car located at the center of the train. Please stop by (lit; we are waiting for you to arrive)
—–
Milk Caramel
Milk Chocolate
Castella
(we also have cigarettes and postage stamps)
Prices vary
* at the bottom is the train line which I can’t read…
Hope that helps…