# Help I D this WWII Japanese aircraft I D tag **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 19, 2018, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-i-d-this-wwii-japanese-aircraft-i-d-tag/809093 "2018-02-19T01:20:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![papaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@papaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papaw)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-i-d-this-wwii-japanese-aircraft-i-d-tag/809093/1 "2018-02-19T01:20:35Z")
Our local museum was given an I D Tag reportedly taken from a Japanese aircraft. Is there anyone on the Dope who may be able to decipher it? [https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4658/40348898611\_85ee26c4b1\_k.jpg](https://flic.kr/p/24tuDPH)[I D Tag](https://flic.kr/p/24tuDPH) by [Noel Hankamer](https://www.flickr.com/photos/nhankamer/), on Flickr [https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4742/39637763444\_b9f4acbb0b\_k.jpg](https://flic.kr/p/23oDU7y)[I D Tag rotated](https://flic.kr/p/23oDU7y) by [Noel Hankamer](https://www.flickr.com/photos/nhankamer/), on Flickr ---
**Author:** ![Corry\_El](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@Corry\_El](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corry_El)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-i-d-this-wwii-japanese-aircraft-i-d-tag/809093/2 "2018-02-19T02:29:00Z")
‘Type 89 10cm Antiaircraft Binoculars Tripod’. ‘Type 89’ refers to equipment introduced in 1929. ---
**Author:** ![Corry\_El](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@Corry\_El](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corry_El)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-i-d-this-wwii-japanese-aircraft-i-d-tag/809093/3 "2018-02-19T02:44:42Z")
A picture of that type of binoculars is item 41 on this link, though you can’t see much of the tripod [http://sky.geocities.jp/sougankyousuki/pg136.html](http://sky.geocities.jp/sougankyousuki/pg136.html) ---
**Author:** ![papaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@papaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papaw)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-i-d-this-wwii-japanese-aircraft-i-d-tag/809093/4 "2018-02-19T03:08:56Z")
Thank you ! i will advise the museum. I am still going to attempt to verify the info. ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-i-d-this-wwii-japanese-aircraft-i-d-tag/809093/5 "2018-02-19T03:51:25Z")
You’ve also got it lying on its side. Rotate 90 degrees clockwise. ---
**Author:** ![papaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@papaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papaw)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-i-d-this-wwii-japanese-aircraft-i-d-tag/809093/6 "2018-02-19T04:11:52Z")
I have it both ways. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-i-d-this-wwii-japanese-aircraft-i-d-tag/809093/7 "2018-02-19T04:24:32Z")
**Corry El** is correct. Good find. The Japanese is as follows: 八九式 Model (or type) 89 十糎 10 cm note\* 對空　antiaircraft 雙眼鏡 binoculars note\*\* 三脚架 tripod These are using pre-war traditional kanji, or characters. Japanese currently use: ＊十センチ ＊＊双眼鏡 You actually rotated it so it’s upside down. The sign needs to be mounted rotated 90 deg clockwise. The writing is vertical. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-i-d-this-wwii-japanese-aircraft-i-d-tag/809093/8 "2018-02-19T04:53:52Z")
> [@Corry\_El](#): > > A picture of that type of binoculars is item 41 on this link, though you can’t see much of the tripod > [サービス終了のお知らせ](http://sky.geocities.jp/sougankyousuki/pg136.html) How about this one? [Model 89 (1929) 10-cm AA spotting binoculars](https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/Japan/IJA/HB/fig/hb-312.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-i-d-this-wwii-japanese-aircraft-i-d-tag/809093/9 "2018-02-19T07:10:21Z")
[Wiki](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_military_aircraft_designation_systems#Long_Type_and_Model_Number_system) talks about the model or type designations for Japanese war equipment. > [@](#): > > After 1929, aircraft types were given a type number based on the last two digits of the year as counted from the mythical founding of Japan in 660BC by Emperor Jimmu. Added to this was a brief description of the aircraft’s function. The Mitsubishi Zero was so-called because entered service in 1940 which was the Japanese year 2600, thus it was designated Type 0 Carrier Fighter. ---
**Author:** ![Corry\_El](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@Corry\_El](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corry_El)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-i-d-this-wwii-japanese-aircraft-i-d-tag/809093/10 "2018-02-19T16:32:47Z")
Just on the minor note of ‘model’ v ‘type’. The characters 式 and 型, (in Chinese, Japanese or Korean) can each be translated as either ‘type’ or ‘model’, among other things, depending. However the predominant convention has become over the decades to translate the first as ‘type’ and the second as ‘model’ when dealing with Japanese military designations of the WWII era. So for example the newer a/c equipping IJN fighter units in December 1941 was designated, in kanji, 零式艦上戦闘機二一型. The first two are generally translated ‘Type 0’ (actually ‘0 Type’), the next five as ‘carrier fighter’ and the last three as ‘Model 21’ (‘21 Model’). ---
**Author:** ![papaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@papaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papaw)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-i-d-this-wwii-japanese-aircraft-i-d-tag/809093/11 "2018-02-19T21:47:27Z")
I thank everyone for the help. We will correct the museum display. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-i-d-this-wwii-japanese-aircraft-i-d-tag/809093/12 "2018-02-19T22:25:50Z")
Don’t you hate it when you solve a mystery and it is much less interesting because of it? (I’m looking at you, bamboo sushi discs!) ---
**Author:** ![papaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@papaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papaw)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-i-d-this-wwii-japanese-aircraft-i-d-tag/809093/13 "2018-02-20T00:51:09Z")
Yes. It was a minor disappointment to the museum that it had been displayed and described incorrectly. We will keep it in the display of WWII memorabilia brought home by local soldiers.