Wondering if we have some Japanese readers here who can translate this writing? I tried Google translate with camera and it spits out a few words but then keeps changing its mind. Probably the curvature and worn lettering is too much for it. We need a human brain here.

The object is a metal canister about 3 inches tall and 1 3/4 inches in diameter. Probably dates from 1930's or early 40's.


Overview




Top Lid


Writing on canister no. 1


Writing on canister no. 2


Thanks.

I took a crack at it...but I don't understand it well. First I will give you the text:

使用法
くっしゃみ性ガスの時は蓋をさりなかぶたをまわして穴を開き鼻孔を近づけて
強く吸い込む　ただれ性ガスの時は先ず吸い取り紙で毒液を吸い取りその後に
本器の穴を開きこなを振りかけてよくすり込む。

Though I don't know what the object even is. Some sort of medicine? Or some way of stopping a poison gas attack during the war?
Sorry I can't be of more help.

Adastra, thanks so much, really appreciated.

What you say makes total sense. It was found nearly 50 years ago on one of the sunken ships in the Kwajalein lagoon, a room that was likely a pharmacy or medical area. I have a number of things from there and am planning to donate them to a World War II museum. Most likely they'll be able to translate it, but I was curious before I sent it off.

Using Google translate on your transliterated text now makes sense.

Thanks again!

The other day when you posted this I managed to find some photos of very similar looking cans. I think I used the physical description you gave. Unfortunately, I can't repeat that. One of the results was a canister with ridges on either end and lots of text on it. It was very much like a different model of the same thing.

The too brief description of the thing led me to believe that the can had contained a cleaning kit with towel wipe and, I guess, cleaning fluid. By cleaning I think it meant decontamination cleaning not maintenance.

The translation of the above text does seem to say that it is for use by a person to decontaminate themselves.

It is obviously not the respirator for a gas mask. Those have a fitting to the mask on one end and are open at the other end for air intake.

Ok, a search using the term "anti-dim cloth" finds some US Army canisters with instructions on the can. Still can't find the Japanese one I saw the other day.,

So, I think the canister contained an anti-dim / anti-fog cloth to be used before wearing the gas mask to prevent it from fogging up. (no cleaning fluid, I now think, but just a cloth, maybe treated with something)

Thanks mrwunfl, great information. It got me searching more than I had previously. I probably found the same site you did with the US Army canister, which is similar looking.




https://furnishgreen.com/shop/wwii-u...k-online-only/

No luck on finding the Japanese canister. But in seeing the above photo I took the lids of my canister and we have this:







The I tried a couple more free online translators using Adastra's transliteration. One deepl.com gave me this:

How to use
For sneezing gas, open the lid, turn the lid, open the hole, and hold the nostrils close together.
In case of sore gas, first absorb the poisonous liquid with absorbent paper and then open the hole of the instrument.
If the gas is sneezing, first absorb the poisonous liquid with absorbent paper, then open the hole in the instrument, sprinkle with powder, and rub in well.

Which seems to indicate the contents could be used either topically or as an inhalant. Maybe? In any case it looks like something for use in a poison gas attack. Fairly sobering to consider.

I've always wondered what the heck this was. Thanks again.

And for fun, this is a photo of the door leading into the room where this canister and various other objects were found. This is about 160 feet down.
The wreck is lying on it's side which explains the doorway being sideways.

The ship is the 300-foot long Ikuta Maru, sunk on January 12, 1944.
https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?231758

That is fun.

Those new photos make look like a salt (powder) shaker. Unscrew the bottom to refill it. If you look through that big open bottom (lower photo) you see all the holes in the other end, right?

Where you have "sneezing" google got "squeaky"
kushami vs kishimu

both got "sore" in the second gas type

> Unscrew the bottom to refill it. If you look through that big open bottom (lower photo) you see all the holes in the other end, right?

Yes, that's exactly it. I agree that it can be refilled from the big open end. Thanks for your help with the language. In searching I found various pay translation sites that probably would have got the nuances. The free sites were similar but a few critical words were different, as you note.

I'm planning to contact the Pacific War museum in Fredericksburg, Texas to see if they want this. I've sent them stuff in the past. Now I can include a note about the canister.

Yeah, online translators can be super inconsistent when you’re dealing with rough, old text, especially if the surface isn’t flat or clean. I had a document in Japanese once that needed an official translation for some legal stuff, and even though I knew a bit of the language, certain phrases just didn’t translate right.