No one

Dear Gentlemen, The answer from Mito Museum: "　水戸市立博物館の藤井と申します。 　勲章の件でお問い合わせいただきありがとうございました。 　そして返事が遅くなってしまい、申し訳ございません。 　お問い合わせいただいた勲章ですが、水戸市立博物館では収蔵しておりません。 　もしかすると、茨城県立歴史館の方が何か情報を持っているかもしれません。 　 　十分にお力になれる回答ではなく、申し訳ございません。 　よろしくお願いいたします。"　 (My name is Fujii from the Mito City Museum. "Thank you for inquiring about the medal." "And I apologize for the late reply." "Regarding the medal you inquired about, it is not stored at the Mito City Museum." "Perhaps the Ibaraki Prefectural Museum of History may have some information." 　 "I'm sorry that this is not an answer that can help you enough." Thank you.) Yours sincerely, No one

Dear Gentlemen, I got an answer to my second email to Sengan-en: "拝復 仙巌園の岩川です。 お問い合わせの件、普段は展示していません。 現在のところ、近々展示する予定はないようです。 仙厳園 岩川様" (Regarding your inquiry, we don't usually exhibit. As of now, there are no plans to display them in the near future.) Yours sincerely, No one

Dear Gentlemen, Part III : the patches of the 13th Demi-Brigade of the Foreign Legion 1962~2011: - 13th DBLE white background: - 13th DBLE black background: - 13th DBLE silhouette: - 13th DBLE Reconnaissance Squadron: - 13th DBLE Reconnaissance Squadron 2nd Platoon: - 13th DBLE Commando Training Center: - patches "cannetille": - 13th DBLE: - 13th DBLE beret silver: - 13th DBLE Company of Command, Administration and Services type I: - 13th DBLE CECAP Commando Training: - 13th DBLE for tent Ø 20 cm: - 13th DBLE for tent Ø 30 cm: And there is this one : - Détachement d'Instruction Opérationnelle OUGANDA 2006 / Operational Training Detachment UGANDA 2006: End of part III. Yours sincerely, No one

Dear TracyA, Thank you for your interest in this subject. There is an Air Force patch as well: For those who wonder what "八一" means, it symbolizes the "August 1 Declaration / 八一宣言 / bā yī xuānyán) ": - in Chinese : 八一宣言 - 维基百科，自由的百科全书 (wikipedia.org) to translate Google Translate Web - iTools - in English : August 1 Declaration - Wikipedia Yours sincerely, No one

Dear Gentlemen, The "Azad Kashmir Commemoration Medal 1947-49" established in 1948(?): Yours sincerely, No one

Dear Gentlemen, The "Jamhuriat Tamgha / Democracy Medal" instituted in 1988 to celebrate the return of democracy in Pakistan: - the medal : - the miniature: Yours sincerely, No one

Dear Gentlemen, Camp Lemonnier - Wikipedia Émile Lemonnier - Wikipedia - Camp Lemonnier Djibouti . U.S. Naval Expeditionary Base: - USMC VMM-362 Speed Wagon Djibouti MV-22 Osprey: - USMC HMM-268 Djibouted of the island it's classified: - coin "US Camp Lemonier COMUSMARCENT Operation Enduring Freedom": - coin "Camp Lemonier HOA Base SGTMAJ": - coin "Camp Lemonier MARCENT CJTF-HOA": - coin "US Marine Security Guard Det.": - coin (special gift from Gibbs) " NCIS US Embassy & Camp Lemonier": Yours sincerely, No one

Dear Gentlemen, Last Sunday, I contacted both Sengan-en and the Mito Museum. Sengan-en answered today : フランソワ様 拝復 仙巌園学芸員の岩川です。 お問い合わせいただきありがとうございます。 島津家がロシア帝国から頂戴した２つの勲章は いずれも島津家の歴史資料館・尚古集成館に収蔵しています。 水戸の方は別のものか、特別企画展で博物館から貸し出したものかと思われます。 ご確認よろしくお願いします。 それでは失礼します。 仙厳園 ご担当者様 Here is the translation : This is Iwakawa, a curator at Sengan-en. Thank you for your inquiry. The two medals that the Shimazu family received from the Russian Empire are both housed in the Shimadzu family history museum, Shoko Shuseikan. The one in Mito is thought to be a different one, or one that was lent out from the museum for a special exhibition. The curator of the Mito Museum is away for the moment, but he will send a reply as soon as he is back. "フランソワ・パトリック様 　勲章に関するお問い合わせをいただき、ありがとうございます。 　先日、お電話を承りました平澤と申します。 　3/20、3/21は休館しておりましたので、返信が遅くなり失礼いたしました。 　担当の学芸員が出張で不在のため、回答に数日ほどお時間をいただきます。 　ご了承のほどよろしくお願いいたします。" Yours sincerely, No one

Dear Gentlemen, The DGPE "Deployment Support-Group for Counter Piracy Enforcement" is an integrated unit of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and the Ground Self-Defense Force, operating out of Djibouti International Airport. About 30 people from the Maritime Self-Defense Force and about 80 people from the Ground Self-Defense Force, equipped with light armored vehicles, are in charge of base operations and security. Yours sincerely, No one

Dear Gentlemen, The DAPE "Deployment Air force Counter Piracy Enforcement" conducts counter piracy measures. It consists of a squadron of two P-3C patrol aircraft and a maintenance supply squadron, operating from Djibouti International Airport. "Jambiya 09" is the call sign. DAPE (the katana is missing on the first patch): - DAPE Jambiya 09 coin: - DAPE Jambiya 09 Central Readiness Regiment Security Team: - DAPE Jambiya 09 S.Haga: - DAPE 05 VP-3 CAC-1: - DAPE 05 VP-3 CAC-1 Team-3: - DAPE 08 Kanoya (Kanoya Air Field - Wikipedia😞 - DAPE 09 31 CAC-1: - DAPE 09 Gulf of Aden Aero Club - CAC-2: - DAPE 10 Jambiya 09 Commanding Officer coin: - DAPE 10 CAC1: - DAPE 10 Flight Engineer's K.Taneichi: - DAPE 10 SFC Go Sato OPOS CSDF CRR2: - DAPE 13 CAC #1 & CAC #2 & CAC #3 & Maintenance and Supply Team: - DAPE 14: - DAPE 16: Yours sincerely, No one

Dear Gentlemen, The patch of the best team of the 3rd Air Corps in 2012 "VP 3 Sea eagle": Yours sincerely, No one

Dear TracA, I used to spend week-end at Obock, it was so quiet (1979/1980). Obock - Wikipedia To some people its alarming! "It will house thousands of personnel at Obock" Port de Djibouti: China’s First Permanent Naval Base in the Indian Ocean | Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (idsa.in) China’s First Overseas Military Base in Djibouti | Vivekananda International Foundation (vifindia.org) China is building its first overseas military base in Djibouti — right next to a key US one | The World from PRX and so on... Yours sincerely, No one

Dear Gentlemen, - 6th Deployment Surface for Counter-Piracy Enforcement / 200th Escort Mission: Your sincerely, No one

Dear Gentlemen, The DSPE conducts counter piracy measures using JMSDF destroyers (one destroyer dispatched). The DSPE strives to ensure the safety of ships navigating in the area in two different manners – direct escort of private vessels across the Gulf of Aden, and zone defense in allocated areas in the Gulf of Aden. There are Japan Coast Guard (JCG) officers aboard the JMSDF destroyer. ソマリア沖海賊の対策部隊派遣 - Wikipedia for translation Google Translate Web - iTools - DSPE 05 Murasame DD 101 Yūgiri DD 153: - DSPE 07 Yudashi DD 103 Kirisame DD 104: - DSPE 11 Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor Murasame DD 101: - DSPE 11 Murasame DD 101 Harusame DD 102: - DSPE 12 Sawagiri DD 157 Eagle Cavalier 2012: - DSPE 12 Ikazuchi DD 107: - DSPE 12 Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor Ikazuchi DD 107: - DSPE 16 Ariake DD109: - DSPE 17 Samidare DD 106 Sazanami DD 113: - DSPE 18 Inazuma DD 105 Umigiri DD 158: Yours sincerely, No one

Dear Gentlemen, Presentation of the patch of the "Italian Military Support Base Djibouti / Base Militare Italiana di Supporto Djibouti": Undersecretary Perego visits the Italian military base in Djibouti (agenzianova.com) The Italian Military Support Base Djibouti is capable to host 300 troops and some UAVs. Yours sincerely, No one

Dear Gentlemen, Presentation of the patch of the "Chinese People's Liberation Army Support Base in Djibouti": People's Liberation Army Support Base in Djibouti - Wikipedia First commander of Chinese PLA support base in Djibouti awarded highest medal - Global Times Yours sincerely, No one

Dear Gentlemen, Not a very well known man outside Kagoshima but quite a character: Godai Tomoatsu (五代 友厚, February 12, 1836 – September 25, 1885) was one of the Satsuma students of 1865 who were smuggled out of Bakumatsu period Japan to study in Great Britain. He returned to become Japan's leading entrepreneur of the early Meiji period. Godai Tomoatsu - Wikipedia The Japanese link has more information: 五代友厚 - Wikipedia . You can use this Google Translate Web - iTools , it's worth it. Yours sincerely, No one

Dear JapanX, I think (or I should write, "I thought") it's what I wrote : they are the same but are variant with the same meaning, that's why the seals script (shōten) are different. I was just trying to answer this question : " Here is my question: the first kanji below are to my mind different stylizations of the same kanji but are they stylizations of 第 or are they stylizations of a different kanji? " And I really thought I did answer the question. Well, I'm going to try to improve my English because it doesn't seem clear. Yours sincerely, No one

Dear Gentlemen, If I may : 勲四 等 and 勛六 等, not the same kanji, the second being a variant of the first one. That's why the seals script (shōten) are different. Yours sincerely, No one

Dear TracA, "第" is actually very different. Better than long explanation, I hope this will help to understand : " 勲 " : "merit" or "the class of an order of merit" (in our case) " 勛 " : "merit" or "rank" " 等 " : " rank, class, order " " 第" : ordinal number marker, used before a number to make the number ordinal, often with affix 号 (第２号 / 2nd) The first kanji is " 勲 / kun ". This " 勛 / kun " is just a variant, not used as much as the first, but it has the same meaning. The ones I have with " 勛 / kun " : And I have this one without hallmark : Yours sincerely, No one

Dear Gentlemen, 5/4 years ago there were many events to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the Meiji Restauration. One of them was an exposition of Satsuma ware. It included two beautiful pieces made especially for Nicolas II, and presented to him when he visited Kagoshima : Yours sincerely. No one

Dear TracA, Yes, it was. Yours sincerely, No one

Dear JapanX, OK, thank you. Yours sincerely, No one

Dear Gentlemen, JOMSA Volume 51 September-October 2000 Number 5 : Yours sincerely, No one

Dear JapanX, Do you know why, when and how those to orders are in Mito and not in Kagoshima in the Shoko Shuseikan / 尚古集成館 or Sengan-en / 仙巌園? Sengan-en - Wikipedia Yours sincerely, No one