Primary Sources

Hanami Letter: Retranslated

This is the retranslated letter the former captain of the Amagiri, Hanami Kōhei, wrote to John F. Kennedy on September 15, 1952. The original letter was selectively translated by Hosono Gunji in a way that obfuscated the main point of Hanami’s letter. To read the complete translation, please click the link above.

Hanami Letter: Hosono Gunji’s Translation (1952)

The original English-language translation of Hanami Kōhei’s letter was provided by Hosono Gunji, and sent to the Kennedy campaign in the autumn of 1952.

• The Hosono translation of Hanami’s letter is available online at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.

• It is also available at the U.S. Embassy of Japan’s official magazine, American View (April 6, 2015).

Please feel free to click on the links and compare this version to our retranslated letter.

Hanami Letter: Side-By-Side Comparison

This document shows a side-by-side comparison of the two translations, to show where Hosono diverged from the text of the original letter.

Hanami Letter: Original Japanese

Coming soon…