Featured Souvenir fan menus from Admiral's Sayonara Party - need some help w/ stuff written on both.

Discussion in 'Ephemera and Photographs' started by bercrystal, Aug 4, 2017.

  1. bercrystal

    bercrystal Well-Known Member

    I have these 2 souvenir fans that had the menu for the evening written on the back. I have not been able to determine for sure who the party's guest of honor was since no ones tenure ended in 1966. However one possibility would be it was a party to honor Admiral Chester W. Nimitz who dies in February of 1966. :confused::confused::confused:

    My main request is for help in translating the stuff written on the decorative side of the fan. I have determined that Fumiko Torii was a Japanese author of some note who died in 2015. The portion to the left that is directly above the design is exactly the same on both fans. However the writing at the top is different with the only thing I could make out is "Fumiko" on both fans.

    Hopefully someone can help me in the translation of the written as well as the printed areas. :happy::happy::happy:

    [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG]

    Thanks for any & all advice or opinions!!! :kiss::kiss::kiss:
     
  2. Debora

    Debora Well-Known Member

  3. bercrystal

    bercrystal Well-Known Member

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  4. KingofThings

    KingofThings 'Illiteracy is a terrible thing to waist' - MHH

    That is Admiral's logo as it has been for decades though.
     
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  5. bercrystal

    bercrystal Well-Known Member

    It does resemble the logo without the crown symbol above the "M". :confused::confused:
     
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  6. Debora

    Debora Well-Known Member

    The ADMIRAL logo. As seen in a 1964 ad.

    Debora

    ADMIRAL.jpg
     
  7. bercrystal

    bercrystal Well-Known Member

    Okay I will concede, but why a "Sayonara Party" at the Tokyo Hilton Hotel??? :confused::confused::confused:

    As far as I have been able to find they did not have a manufacturing presence there & they did not sell out there television division to a Japanese company till the 1970's.
     
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  8. Debora

    Debora Well-Known Member

    The American GM was probably returning to the States.

    Debora
     
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  9. Debora

    Debora Well-Known Member

    Or, could have been New Year's Eve. Nix that. Browsing old copies of TOKYO WEEKENDER, the expat publication, "sayonara" parties were for leave-takings.

    Debora
     
  10. bercrystal

    bercrystal Well-Known Member

    I bought these from a local woman several years ago along with the Japanese attire they wore to the party. They got packed up before we moved & now some 4+ years later they have finally been unearthed. I did not even notice what was written at the top until I was taking the photos. :oops::oops::oops:

    The problem is I have no idea how to get in touch with her or if she is even still alive. :(:(

    Debora - thank you so much for helping me with the reason for the party!! :happy::happy:

    Hopefully someone will come along who can read Japanese & clue me in to what the written portion is all about.
     
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  11. yourturntoloveit

    yourturntoloveit Well-Known Member

    When a large company is expanding to (or considering expanding to) a foreign country they have "front men" on the ground in that country for years (however many years it takes to grease wheels, locate property for a plant or plants, satisfy themselves and the company that the native workforce is capable, willing, and eager for that particular company to be in their country, etc.).

    Added by my DH from personal (work) experience: "Also, at that time it was very difficult for foreign companies to set up their own subsidiaries in Japan. Most outsiders had to set up long-term contract relationships with Japanese trading companies, and this dinner may have celebrated the final agreement between the negotiating teams on both sides after a long period of discussions."
     
    Last edited: Aug 5, 2017
  12. bercrystal

    bercrystal Well-Known Member

    Thank you for the additional information. I absolutely never even thought in the direction that these pieces have taken. :oops::oops:

    That is why it is so wonderful to have a place where you can go to ask for help such as what we have here in this forum. :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
     
  13. Figtree3

    Figtree3 What would you do if you weren't afraid?

    I've been wondering why the well-known author Fumiko Torii would have been at a dinner like that? Or maybe somebody asked her to sign it later?
     
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  14. Debora

    Debora Well-Known Member

    If we assume that there was only one Fumiko Torii in Japan at the time. By way, I'm unable to locate information about a writer of that name on the internet. Would someone be kind enough to direct me on? (Personally, I was assuming that Fumiko Torii was the name of the featured entertainer or perhaps a geisha.)

    Debora

    Tokyo Hilton.jpg
     
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  15. bercrystal

    bercrystal Well-Known Member

  16. bercrystal

    bercrystal Well-Known Member

    I was wondering the exact same thing. If it had been for a military person, I could see some "celebrities" being invited, but with this type of dinner you would think it would have just been those involved with the 2 companies. :confused::confused:
     
  17. Figtree3

    Figtree3 What would you do if you weren't afraid?

    Good point about the name. It seems common. I had seen some of the references that Peggy just posted but did not check any dates to see if it was a person who would have been active in the 1960s.

    The entertainer idea seems good. Still haven't found anything, though.
     
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  18. Debora

    Debora Well-Known Member

    Pink Pearl Ballroom 1966.

    Debora

    1966.0630.japan3.beatles.jpg
     
  19. Mansons2005

    Mansons2005 Nasty by Nature, Curmudgeon by Choice

    Back "when" it would be conventional to have entertainment at this type of dinner, usually something "traditional" (but touristy) from the host country and something "traditional" from the visiting country. Trust me, you haven't been "entertained" until you have attended a banquet that featured a mass of alluringly dressed, exotic belly dancers followed by a couple in "traditional" Dutch garb clogging all over a wooden stage..................then you exchange "gifts"................a wonderfully worked Moroccan leather saddle against a basket of Gouda, chocolates and jenever....................yeah, gin for the Muslims.....sheesh............
     
  20. bercrystal

    bercrystal Well-Known Member

    I found all manner of references to this even during one of my searches. :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

    I guess she could have been part of the "entertainment", but an author would not be what I would expect. :confused::confused::confused:

    I may put another post in the antiques category asking for translation help. Whatever is written there may give us a clue. :happy::happy:
     
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