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I've been trying to research my family back through my Japanese heritage. I got all the way back to the Masuhara name but didn't know the kanji. I knew that I had a Great Uncle that was a doctor. I finally found his gravestone and I've translated the first two kanji as the Masuhara name 「増原」and the ドクトル since he was a doctor. But I can't really see or understand the last few kanji on there. I tried using the google translate writing tool just to see if the kanji would come up and I think I got one that looked similar and was like "Tooru no" or something 「亨之」. I don't know if that is on the right track and I can't even find the last kanji anywhere.

Any help would be appreciated![robert t masuhara doctor 1907 1938]1

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  • I'd like to ask just out of pure curiosity. Where is this cemetery? I'm assuming possibly Hawaii or West coast where many Hiroshimans emigrated to. The surname 増原 is quite common name in Hiroshima and said to be originated in Hiroshima.
    – user19858
    Mar 11, 2017 at 0:24
  • Ah, Yes. It's at Makiki Cemetery in Honolulu Hawaii. I found it on findagrave.com
    – Hush
    Mar 11, 2017 at 0:25
  • Oh is it? So Dr. Masuhara could very likely be an issei from Hiroshima pref. I suppose.
    – user19858
    Mar 11, 2017 at 0:37
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    m.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/detail/q1254121207 This can be a clue for you.
    – user19858
    Mar 11, 2017 at 0:57
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    亨【とおる】 is his first name, and 之【の】 is a kanji that expresses possession ('s).
    – naruto
    Mar 11, 2017 at 3:10

1 Answer 1

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I think usually direct translation requests are not allowed, but since you seem to have done most of the work: the last character is just 墓{はか} - grave. So, it says, "Doctor Masuhara Tōru's grave".

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  • Oh, that was all it was? I thought it was going to be a longer name lol Thank you! I've been working at all this slowly trying to find out about my family. I just thought this would be a good resource to ask since there are many knowledgeable people here. I'm only a beginner in Japanese myself and Kanji still throws me for a loop.
    – Hush
    Mar 10, 2017 at 21:01

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