Yabu wrote this letter shortly before his first and only deployment in the First Sino-Japanese War. One can sense in Yabu’s words that he was eagerly awaiting the opportunity to experience his first combat mission. It should be noted that the Japanese military had already won several battles before Yabu joined the campaign.
As mentioned earlier, only Hanashiro’s account provides information about the exact company and battalion in which Yabu served. Therefore, I have restored the previously obscured parts of the letter to learn more about his actual military engagement. This restored information will also be referenced in future articles and writings.
Several days passed after the letter before Yabu set foot on Chinese soil for the first time on January 23, 1895.
Karate Kenkyū Shitsu 