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Please help regarding a japanese caseback engraving

S.H.
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Hello,

I have just received a Seiko KS from Japan. The caseback is very nicely engraved, but it is in Japanese and I can't read it/ don't know how to translate it. I suspect it is a corporate gift for a 50th anniversary (birthday, career milestone, retirement?) and there seem to be a date on it. I was told the owner's name was engraved on it, but obviously there is more.

DSC_7533.jpeg



A view from the front:

DSC_7528.jpeg


I would appreciate some help, thanks!
 
kidviddy
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It celebrates fifty years of service at a place called Chūōtei in Kobe. The guy's name is at the top-left although I can't read the surname clearly; Yoshio Something, I think. Chūōtei is probably a restaurant -- the 亭 suffix is common in restaurant names. I had a brief look and it appears as if the business currently registered under that name is this one: https://tabelog.com/hyogo/A2801/A280102/28000924/, although it's entirely possible that things have changed since 1998; the records I found only go back as far as 2015 so I don't know whether the previously existing Chūōtei got shut down and a new place opened up with the same name in the meanwhile, for example.

If you ever visit Kobe, you should ask them!
 
w154
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My wife is from Kobe, and she’s even eaten there in the distant past !

The only things she can add is that the guys family name is Takei, and the year is likely 1973 (Showa Era 48).
 
kidviddy
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w154 w154
The only things she can add is that the guys family name is Takei, and the year is likely 1973 (Showa Era 48).

Oh of course, I didn't even stop to think about which calendar the year would be written in! 1973 makes a lot more sense 😀 Thanks to your wife (mine is from Awaji-shima)
 
S.H.
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@kidviddy and @w154 : Thanks a lot!👍

😀

The date makes sense, the serial begins with 26 so it was made in June 1972.
 
M
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S.H. S.H.
Hello,

I have just received a Seiko KS from Japan. The caseback is very nicely engraved, but it is in Japanese and I can't read it/ don't know how to translate it. I suspect it is a corporate gift for a 50th anniversary (birthday, career milestone, retirement?) and there seem to be a date on it. I was told the owner's name was engraved on it, but obviously there is more.

DSC_7533.jpeg



A view from the front:

DSC_7528.jpeg


I would appreciate some help, thanks!
贈 武井良雄殿 勤続50周年表彰
株式会社 中央亭(神戸) 48.4.22

On April 22, 1973, a company called Chuotei in Kobe, Japan, presented this watch to Mr. Yoshio Takei as a gift in recognition of his 50 years of service
Edited:
 
S.H.
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Well, thanks to you all I learned about Japanese years... I thought 48.4.22 meant, well, 1948 April 22th 😟 . Interesting!

I found a clear explanation about the Japanese date system for those who, like me, did not even suspect it existed: https://notesofnomads.com/japanese-date-system/
 
Fretworker
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I enjoyed reading this. What a charming thread, interesting and helpful, well done to all who participated
 
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