Japanese writing on old Abacus

[tamrock]

I was doing a little look around at a thrift store in Boulder Co. and found this old abacus for a dollar ninety-nine. It looks old like maybe pre ww2. I believe it to be a genuine commercial abacus and not just one made as a novelty like a more recently made one. I say it's Japanese because others I see online do compare to what they are saying is a Japanese abacus. I wonder from any of you who might have a little insight on Asian writing if it's possible to translate what this writing which looked scratch on might translate to? It's constructed mostly of bamboo I believe, but it does have sheet metal end caps with metal screws to secure the ends together and that's what makes me think it was probably made around the first half of the 20th century or later.

 

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[ARC]

IT reads as follows...

"Man who uses this device soon buys electronic calculator."

:P

 

[bradyboy]

very cool find, wISH i could help - bRADY

 

[tamrock]

IT reads as follows...

"Man who uses this device soon buys electronic calculator."

:P

Unless batteries have no more juice.

 

[ARC]

Unless batteries have no more juice.

Ahhhh yes... a "prepper tool"

For those times you wanna add something with no power.

Um... wait... dont they have solar powered ? ? ? yes...

BUT... sun is blotted out... OR at night.

One cannot be too careful ya know.

:P

 

[tamrock]

Ahhhh yes... a "prepper tool"

For those times you wanna add something with no power.

Um... wait... dont they have solar powered ? ? ? yes...

BUT... sun is blotted out... OR at night.

One cannot be too careful ya know.

:P

Indeed our need for electrical energy has its limitations. I watched a show last night-NOVA- about folk trying to build a green electric powered plane. That sure seems challenging.

 

[Red-Coat]

Can’t help with the translation but yes it’s a Japanese counting tray type of abacus properly called a ‘soroban’ (算盤, そろばん)

They always have an odd number of rods (columns)… 27 in your case and are distinguished by having five beads per rod, divided by a ‘reckoning bar’ to split them 4:1 either side of the bar. The isolated bead has a value of five and each of the group of four has a value of one. The other characteristic is that they have a little dot on the frame at the end of some of the rods, each dotted rod separated by two unmarked rods. Those are the white spots on your frame but they look to be painted and some of them have worn off.

I agree it’s a practical item intended for use and not a novelty or toy. They’re actually still in use today, but yours looks to be vintage at least. The inscription will usually be a maker name and/or the name of the city/region where it was made, which may or may not also get you to a date. You need someone who is fluent in the lingo. Maybe our illustrious member Yang Hao can help.

 

[tamrock]

Well thank you Red-Coat. That's sure a good amount of information you've offered. Yeah I was thinking the inscriptions would be a maker or property of ?. I really thought it was a interesting artifact and nicely constructed with more of the hands on skills of the past. One thing you'll find in today's thrift stores are lots of electronic pocket and scientific calculators. Some of those can have a value to collectors in the way of the early LED models.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Ah. Ancient accounting tool.

It says: "Debits towards the door and credits towards the window."

 

[tamrock]

Ah. Ancient accounting tool.

It says: "Debits towards the door and credits towards the window."

So pretty much this then ドアに向かって借方に記入し、窓に向かって貸方に記入します

 

[Yang Hao]

Sorry been busy with exams. A quick look, It's not written / etched well.. first photo I can see the words 管理?務昕沼 in Chinese 管理 is guanli which mean manager... (question mark character can't make out) 務 wu means business in chinese. The last two 昕沼 (but 昕 is etched in poorly) 昕xin/xuan means dawn 沼zhao in chinese means pond or pool I'm guessing that could be a name. Second photo, I see the words 宝永?経沼. First off, the 経 character is used in Japanese (confirming Red Coat's post above). In chinese it would be 经 jing or 經 which in chinese refers to scripture like 圣经 sheng jing bible or could be a surname 。宝 bao in chinese means treasure 永 yong means long lasting, eternal. I would guess the last two characters or last three characters are a person's name. However by the distance between the last two character it was not etched in well. Hope this helps.

 

[duggap]

Ah. Ancient accounting tool.

It says: "Debits towards the door and credits towards the window."

Dang Charlie, I thought only CPA's knew that old adage. You must be one of us.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Not a CPA - but schooled in accountancy and a former company controller and municipal comptroller.


Interviewer: "We reviewed your application for accountant and frankly it seems bland and unremarkable. What's two plus two?"

Interviewee: standing up, closing the door and pulling down the window shade . . . "What do you want it to be?"

Interviewer: "You're hired!"

 

[tamrock]

Sorry been busy with exams. A quick look, It's not written / etched well.. first photo I can see the words 管理?務昕沼 in Chinese 管理 is guanli which mean manager... (question mark character can't make out) 務 wu means business in chinese. The last two 昕沼 (but 昕 is etched in poorly) 昕xin/xuan means dawn 沼zhao in chinese means pond or pool I'm guessing that could be a name. Second photo, I see the words 宝永?経沼. First off, the 経 character is used in Japanese (confirming Red Coat's post above). In chinese it would be 经 jing or 經 which in chinese refers to scripture like 圣经 sheng jing bible or could be a surname 。宝 bao in chinese means treasure 永 yong means long lasting, eternal. I would guess the last two characters or last three characters are a person's name. However by the distance between the last two character it was not etched in well. Hope this helps.

Well it's just a little more than I knew before Mr. Hao. I was kinda hoping for it to say Property of the Japanese Imperial Military and then I could surmise it was found by a US Marine on the island of Iwo Jima after all was said and done and brought back by that unknown Marine as a souvenir. Just a little wishful thinking on my end 🙂 Does seem though to have been used for commercial purposes. Thank You👍Tamrock.

 

[Yang Hao]

Well it's just a little more than I knew before Mr. Hao. I was kinda hoping for it to say Property of the Japanese Imperial Military and then I could surmise it was found by a US Marine on the island of Iwo Jima after all was said and done and brought back by that unknown Marine as a souvenir. Just a little wishful thinking on my end �� Does seem though to have been used for commercial purposes. Thank You��Tamrock.

This video from 2008 shows hows Japanese students use the abacus. At the end of the video you can see the students just using the abacus finger motions to do the math calculations.