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I thought the character "を" (wo) was only used for the particle whose only job was to indicate the direct object of a verb.

But today I saw it at the end of an exclamation on a sign I think on a shop:

西部に活力を!!

So what job is を doing here?

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Very common: 素晴らしい一年を！ – Nicolas Raoul Jun 16 '11 at 4:03
@Nicolas: A set phrase at the end of year is 良いお年を (よいおとしを), which can also be said as 良いお年をお迎えください (よいおとしをおむかえください) (I wish you a happy new year). – Tsuyoshi Ito Jun 16 '11 at 12:42
Two very common set phrases which end with particles: こんにちは and こんばんは – Garrett Albright Jun 17 '11 at 8:29
を is not an article. In fact, Japanese does not have an article. – sawa Sep 14 '11 at 4:20
@sawa: Oh that's a typo for "particle" and I can't believe it's been there so long without being spotted! Thanks. – hippietrail Sep 14 '11 at 7:56

2 Answers

up vote 13 down vote accepted

It's still the object marker. The sentence is just not finished and the verb is implied.

(there was a question mentioning suspended sentences but I cannot find it for the moment)

Anyway it's often used:

フォースと共(とも)にあらんことを

May the force be with you!

Additionally it gives some kind of propaganda feeling to the sentence.

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Wow is there any part of a Japanese sentence you can't leave out? (-: – hippietrail Jun 15 '11 at 14:39
Generally speaking: No. :) – Kdansky Jun 15 '11 at 14:44
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It's like Japanese color-by-numbers: the outline is there, but you have to pick your own verb to finish the picture. – Derek Schaab Jun 15 '11 at 14:47
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Sentences ending with just を are very often interpreted in the meaning of wishing something to someone else, and I don't think anybody tries to fill in the verb for that, so perhaps you can say this specific を is quite stand-alone. – Boaz Yaniv Jun 15 '11 at 17:26
up vote 6 down vote

It's just an ellipsis of the verb. It happens too with other particles, for example, you have "復興へ！" (towards reconstruction!) here and there in the Tohoku area.

I think that it is mostly used in an incentive context, to express "let's all…"

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