Meiji Army telegrams of 1874

transcription.txt

# JACAR C04025783900, frames 1819-1820 (National Institute for Defense Studies, Army Ministry records). Images not included (JACAR: all rights reserved).
# Army Ministry -> garrison (chindai), 8 Nov 1874 (Meiji 7.11.8). 65 pairs of digits 1-7, written in kanji numerals, separated by commas, 7 pairs per column.
# Pair 49 is written 33 on the image; read 32 by sense (see reading.md).

67 37 32 76 42 13 77
42 16 11 25 42 14 61
11 75 66 67 37 74 11
54 31 22 67 31 43 63
42 25 11 32 76 75 13
35 76 14 51 47 57 76
43 37 67 33 24 25 73
42 63 32 32 76 11 52
57 76 42 15 43 25 71
32 22

decryption.txt

# Pair by pair with the iroha 7x7 square (row, column). 76 = dakuten, 77 = handakuten (separate signs).

67 37 32 76 42 13 77
シ ナ タ ゛ ム ハ ゜

42 16 11 25 42 14 61
ム ヘ イ ヲ ム ニ ア

11 75 66 67 37 74 11
イ ス ミ シ ナ セ イ

54 31 22 67 31 43 63
フ ヨ リ シ ヨ ウ キ

42 25 11 32 76 75 13
ム ヲ イ タ ゛ ス ハ

35 76 14 51 47 57 76
ツ ゛ ニ ヤ ク テ ゛

43 37 67 33 24 25 73
ウ ナ シ レ ル ヲ モ

42 63 32 32 76 11 52
ム キ タ タ ゛ イ マ

57 76 42 15 43 25 71
テ ゛ ム ホ ウ ヲ ヱ

32 22
タ リ

# continuous: シナタ゛ムハ゜ムヘイヲムニアイスミシナセイフヨリシヨウキムヲイタ゛スハツ゛ニヤクテ゛ウナシレルヲモムキタタ゛イマテ゛ムホウヲヱタリ

reading.md

# Established text (Japanese, katakana telegram style)

First deciphered by Ohno Tetsuya (2010, his no. 4031). This is an independent re-reading, made before we knew of his article.

シナダンパン ヘイヲンニ アイスミ、シナセイフヨリ シヤウキンヲ イダス ハヅニ ヤクヂヤウ ナシ{タ}ル ヲモムキ、タダイマ デンポウヲ ヱタリ。

支那談判平穏ニ相済ミ、支那政府ヨリ償金ヲ出ス筈ニ約定成シ{タ}ル趣、唯今電報ヲ得タリ。

(As enciphered: シナタ゛ムハ゜ム ヘイヲムニ アイスミ シナセイフヨリ シヨウキムヲ イタ゛ス ハツ゛ニ ヤクテ゛ウ ナシ{タ}ル ヲモムキ タタ゛イマ テ゛ムホウヲ ヱタリ; ム written for ン, voicing marks as separate cells.)

## State of the reading (Daniel Bourdeau's rule: 95% of words read in their sense)

20 words (支那/談判/平穏/ニ/相済ミ/支那/政府/ヨリ/償金/ヲ/出ス/筈/ニ/約定/成シタル/趣/唯今/電報/ヲ/得タリ): 19 certain (95%), 1 probable {成シタル} (5%), 0 restored by sense, 0 unresolved. Read in their sense: 20/20 (100%).

## Justification

- {成シタル}: pair 49 is written 三三 (= レ, giving ナシレル); 三二 (= タ) gives ナシタル, the only grammatical form. 二 and 三 are hard to tell apart in columns of stacked strokes.

translation.md

# English translation

"The negotiations with China have been concluded peacefully; it has been agreed that the Chinese government will pay an indemnity. We have just received the telegram."

Context: end of the 1874 Taiwan expedition. The Beijing agreement of 31 Oct 1874 (Okubo Toshimichi; the British minister Thomas Wade mediating) granted Japan an indemnity of 500,000 taels.

transcription_2.txt

# JACAR C04025783500, frame 1811, continued on JACAR C04025783600, frame 1812 (last 6 rows; date 8 Nov 1874 and Army Ministry signature). Cursive hand; images not included.
# "6+" = a single 6 on the copy where 66 (ミ) is needed (confirmed single sign by Brice Dudout): one digit restored.
# Cursive 2/3 (zeta-shaped) and doubtful groups settled by three targeted visual reviews by Brice Dudout (shapes only, plates C02, C03, C09).

67 37 45 32 76 42 13
77 42 75 57 67 14 51
54 33 32 24 25 73 42
63 67 31 67 42 54 76
42 67 14 63 62 11 67
61 33 17 76 73 11 52
32 76 74 11 54 56 13
15 43 21 53 37 67
37 15 47 26 47 15 43
61 41 13 76 75 6+ 51
27 14 52 43 67 32 35
75 16 76 63 14 35 63
54 74 35 17 43 67 42
31 43 75 16 76 27 41
75 76

decryption_2.txt

# Pair by pair, same key as key.tsv.

67 37 45 32 76 42 13
シ ナ ノ タ ゛ ム ハ

77 42 75 57 67 14 51
゜ ム ス テ シ ニ ヤ

54 33 32 24 25 73 42
フ レ タ ル ヲ モ ム

63 67 31 67 42 54 76
キ シ ヨ シ ム フ ゛

42 67 14 63 62 11 67
ム シ ニ キ サ イ シ

61 33 17 76 73 11 52
ア レ ト ゛ モ イ マ

32 76 74 11 54 56 13
タ ゛ セ イ フ エ ハ

15 43 21 53 37 67
ホ ウ チ ケ ナ シ

37 15 47 26 47 15 43
ナ ホ ク ワ ク ホ ウ

61 41 13 76 75 6+ 51
ア ラ ハ ゛ ス ミ[restored] ヤ

27 14 52 43 67 32 35
カ ニ マ ウ シ タ ツ

75 16 76 63 14 35 63
ス ヘ ゛ キ ニ ツ キ

54 74 35 17 43 67 42
フ セ ツ ト ウ シ ム

31 43 75 16 76 27 41
ヨ ウ ス ヘ ゛ カ ラ

75 76
ス ゛

reading_2.md

# Established text, telegram 2 (JACAR C04025783500 frame 1811 + C04025783600 frame 1812), 8 Nov 1874

First deciphered by Ohno Tetsuya (2010, his no. 4027). The continuation on C04025783600 frame 1812 was also read by Satoshi Tomokiyo (personal communication, 30 Oct 2026). This is an independent re-reading, made before we knew of these readings.

支那ノ談判{既ニ}破レタル趣、諸新聞紙ニ記載シアレドモ、未ダ政府{エ}ハ報知‹ケ›ナシ、尚確報アラバ[速ヤカニ]{申シ}{達ス}ベキニ付キ、浮説等信用スベカラズ。

## State of the reading (Daniel Bourdeau's rule: 95% of words read in their sense)

29 words: 23 certain, 4 probable ({既ニ}, {エ}, {申シ}, {達ス}), 1 restored by sense ([速ヤカニ]), 1 unresolved ‹ケ› → 27/29 = 93.1% (28/29 = 96.6% with the restored word).

## Justifications

- Frames 1811 and 1812 run on: 1811 stops at 尚確報, 1812 (filed by JACAR in the next item) resumes with アラバ and bears the date and signature.
- {既ニ}: 67 written for 76 (transposition by the clerk). {エ}: pair 56; エ is a common phonetic spelling of the particle ヘ. {申シ}, {達ス}: one cursive 2/3 digit each read by sense (43, 35), not reviewed.
- [速ヤカニ]: a single 6 on the copy where スミヤカニ needs 66 (Brice Dudout confirms a single sign, plate C09 q11): one digit restored.
- ‹ケ›: pair 53 in 報知‹ケ›ナシ, probably the clerk's slip.
- Targeted reviews by Brice Dudout (shapes only, no plaintext shown): plate C02 10/10; plate C03 3/3 controls; plate C09 all 10 shape answers agree with the reading by sense (control included; in q03 the frame took in two signs, a plate error, and Brice read both correctly).

translation_2.md

# English translation, telegram 2 (8 Nov 1874)

"The rumour that the negotiations with China have already broken down is reported in all the newspapers, but the government has as yet received no word of it; as soon as there is sure news it will be passed on to you without delay, so give no credence to rumours." On the same day telegram 1 announces the agreement.

transcription_3.txt

# JACAR C10071951300, frames 0712-0713: Major Onuma (Nagasaki) to Army Minister Yamagata, sent 22 Oct 1874 10:15, received 23 Oct 01:10, relaying consul Shinagawa (Shanghai) of the 20th. Images not included.
# Digits 1-7 without commas, written as kanji numerals; runs of 一/二/三 segmented with two targeted digit-count reviews by Brice Dudout.
# Column 2 "二" read 一一 by sense. (3) and (7) = digits present on the image (confirmed by Brice) and set aside as cipher-clerk errors.

clear: シナカハリヨウジコレニジユニチノデンポウニイフ、
cipher: 5 3 4 2 5 5 4 2 1 5 3 5 6 3 4 2 3 1 2 2
clear: シ?ヨカン?ヲ、 (read レヨカヒヲ on the copy)
cipher: 4 1 4 7 6 7
clear: セリ
cipher: 6 7 3 7 7 4 1 1 5 4 3 1 2 2 4 6 1 5 4 7 1 5 7 4 4 2 5 3 4 2
cipher: (3) 2 2 6 7 4 2 1 4 1 5 4 2 5 3 3 5 1 3 3 5 2 7 5 2 5 7 1 4 1 6 4 2 1 7 5 4 7 5 1 6 6 7 3 4 4 5
cipher: 4 3 1 6 1 4 7 2 6 3 1 3+dakuten 4 1 (7) 2 4 3 7 2 4 1 6 6 7

decryption_3.txt

# Pairs with the key in key.tsv; bracketed digits removed before pairing.

[clear] シナカハリヨウジコレニジユニチノデンポウニイフ、

5 3 4 2 5 5 4 2 1 5 3 5 6 3 4 2 3 1 2 2
ケ ム コ ム ホ ツ キ ム ヨ リ

[clear] シ?ヨカン?ヲ、 (read レヨカヒヲ on the copy)

4 1 4 7 6 7
ラ ク シ

[clear] セリ

6 7 3 7 7 4 1 1 5 4 3 1 2 2 4 6 1 5 4 7 1 5 7 4 4 2 5 3 4 2
シ ナ セ イ フ ヨ リ オ ホ ク ホ セ ム ケ ム

(3) 2 2 6 7 4 2 1 4 1 5 4 2 5 3 3 5 1 3 3 5 2 7 5 2 5 7 1 4 1 6 4 2 1 7 5 4 7 5 1 6 6 7 3 4 4 5
リ シ ム ニ ホ ム ケ ツ ハ ツ カ マ テ ニ ヘ ム ト フ ス ヘ シ ソ ノ

4 3 1 6 1 4 7 2 6 3 1 3+dakuten 4 1 (7) 2 4 3 7 2 4 1 6 6 7
ウ ヘ ニ ヒ キ ハ ラ ル ナ ル ヘ シ

reading_3.md

# Established text, telegram 3 (JACAR C10071951300)

[品川領事コレニ二十日ノ電報ニ曰ク、]{現今}北京ヨリ[書翰ヲ]{落手}[セリ]、支那{政府}ヨリ大久保全権‹…›{ニ}[本月][二十日]マデニ{返答}スベシ、其ノ上ニ{引払}[ルナルベシ]

(First bracket = clear text of the telegram.)

Not in Ohno Tetsuya (2010), which cites C04025783500 and C04025783900 only: to our knowledge the first reading of this telegram. Satoshi Tomokiyo confirmed two of our readings in it, 6[3] = キ and [3?]4 = ソ (personal communication, 30 Oct 2026).

## State of the reading (Daniel Bourdeau's rule: 95% of words read in their sense), cipher part

23 words: 12 certain, 6 probable ({現今}, {落手}, {政府}, {ニ}, {返答}, {引払ル}), 4 restored by sense ([本月], [二十日], [ナル], [ベシ]), 1 unresolved (‹リシム›). Read: 18/23 = 78.3% (22/23 = 95.7% with the restored words). Strict reading without the two declared corrections: about 77% (17/22).

## Two declared corrections

1. First digit of column 1 (page 1), a blotted 3: present on the image (confirmed by Brice Dudout, plate C07), set aside; the column then reads ホムケツ ハツカ (本月二十日).
2. The 7 of "1 7" in column B (page 2): present on the image (confirmed by Brice, plate C07), set aside; the end then reads ヒキバラ ル ナル ベシ.
Same clerk: in telegram 2 he writes 67 for 76 (transposition).

## Justifications

- {現今} ケムコム; {落手} ラクシ with ユ omitted; {政府} column-2 二 = 一一; {返答} written ヘムトフ; {引払ル} ヒキバラ ル.
- Brice's reviews: plate C05 (12 zones: 8 agreements, 3 corrections of the transcription, 1 discrepancy decided by sense); plate C07 (head of column 1 and end of column B confirmed). Control q10 of C07 was inconclusive because the plate's frame was about 20 px too high (it included the stroke of the 5 above); Brice's digit sequence was correct.

translation_3.md

# English translation, telegram 3 (JACAR C10071951300)

"Consul Shinagawa says in his telegram of the 20th: I have just received a letter from Beijing: the Chinese government [...] to Plenipotentiary Okubo [...] must answer by the 20th of this month; after which he will probably withdraw." Okubo was threatening to break off and leave Beijing; the agreement was signed on 31 Oct 1874.