Figure 1.-- We have a graduation photograph from 1939. It looks to be an unidentified boy who has just finished secondary school. Japan was at war with China, but had not yet attacked the United States. We see several uniforms in the portrait, but can not yet identify them. There are many things about the graduation photograph that we do not understand. |
We know less about secondary school. I am not sure if there is an important first day ceremony, but of course gradution is very important. We have a graduation photograph from 1939. It looks to be an unidentified boy who has just finished secondary school. Japan was at war with China, but had not yet attacked the United States. We see several uniforms in the portrait, but can not yet identify them. There are many things about the graduation photograph that we do not understand. Hopefully our Japanese readers will provide us some insights into these ceremonies.
We have no details about this portrait, but almost certainly the portrait here honors the graduation of the youth in the middle who seems to be wearing a secondary school uniform. He wears a sash with writing. Hopefully one of our Japanese readers will translate this for us. He also wears some kind of prize ribbob. The two older people flanking him surely are his parents. One would guess that the individuals cloest to them are other siblings. This is quite a large group. Surely many are the extended family, but there may also be family friends. Perhaps there are also teachers in the group. Here we just do not know who all these people are.
We are guessing that the boy is graduating from secondary school. He wears a uniform, however, that looks different than the standard Prussian cadet uniform. I thought perhaps it might be a military uniform. but surely he would not have worn white socks with a military uniform. Another complication is a boy who we guess is a younger brother. He is standing between the father and the graduate. He wears a unfoirm than is different than his older brother. We are guessing that this means that they went to different schools. What these two schools were, we are not sure.
We have no idea where in Japan this photograph was taken. The sene has a rural or small village look to us.
The only aspect of this graduation photograph that we know for sure was that it was taken in 1939. Japan was at war with China, but had not yet attacked the United States. We see several uniforms in the portrait, but can not yet identify these uniforms. The War in China by this time was a continuing problem, but was not affecting the country like it would once Japan attacked the United states.
We are not sure what the buildog in the background is. It doesn't look like a house to us. Perhaps it is a school.
Notice that both the rising sun flag and the plain red circle flag is displayed. I am not sure just what this meant or how common this practice was at Japanese schools.
There are several banners and sashes in the portrait. Presumably they provide some details on the scene here. Hopefully a Japanese reader will be able to make out some of the writing.
We wonder who all these people are. Mom and dad are obvious. But the other people we are not sure about. Of course the most obvious answer is the immediate and extended family. Is it possible that the teachers at the school posed with graduates and their families.
We see different uniforms. Some of the children are wearing school uniforms. And we see what looks like army uniforms. But this can be misleading. There were other uniforms such as railroad personnel that looked like military iniforms. We see men wearing suit. One gentleman wears a very formal suit. Note most of the men war Western suits while most of the womden wear traditional garments. The same is true ofthe children. The boys wear Western-stled uniforms wghole most of the girls wear traditional garmednts.
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