March 1941: Every Japanese Military Unit to have its own Russian Translator

The following is a declassified Top Secret cipher telegram dated 15 March 1941 from Tokyo about the training of Russian language translators to staff each of Japan’s army companies. The source of the information related in the cable was redacted during the declassification process, as was the pseudonym of Soviet agent who filed the cable itself. What is known is that the cable was addressed to “Viktor” – the pseudonym of Pavel Fitin, then the head of the NKVD.

The cable states that Kudora, a Japanese language instructor known to the addressee of the cable, offered up information regarding a robust Russian language training program in the Japanese military academy, graduating some 200 translators each year, and already boasting a force of 10,000 Russian translators. The goal of the academy’s Russian language program is to ensure every military company in Japan has its own translator. In addition to this, Kudora – a Japanese national who has apparently gained the trust of our unnamed agent – has inserted one of his own students, a young Japanese woman, to act as a Japanese instructor for new Russian employees in what the reader presumes is the Tokyo embassy.

The original cable has a pencilled-in question mark, no doubt 1941’s Soviet version of “WTF?” We can only imagine to whom Kudora’s allegiance truly lies.

TOP SECRET

Removal of copies prohibited

CIPHER TELEGRAM NO. 1753

Received 15 March 1941 at 08:35                   Deciphered 15 March 1941 at 23:10

TO VIKTOR

               A Japanese language instructor known to you, Kuroda, reported to “                       ” in the classroom that according to his friend, the military academy’s head of the Russian language department, that Japan has 10,000 well-trained Russian translators, with the intent and effect that each Army company will be provided with a translator. Every year 200 translators graduate. Only men are accepted into the Russian language departments in all of the educational institutions. The study of Russian is considered a top priority in the plan to provide the military with proficient translators. It’s important to add that, of late, Kuroda has been able to gain the trust of “                       ” by conveying a few things of interest from time to time. At the same time, Kuroda has brought in his student, a young Japanese woman named Shen [sic], as a Japanese instructor for our new employees.

Translation © 2025 by Michael Estes and TranslatingHistory.org