Item:
ONJR22HRA027

Original Imperial Japanese WWII Bringback Lot With Flag - 5 Items

Item Description

Original Items: Only One Lot of 4 Available. Under the slogans of fukoku kyōhei[e] and shokusan kōgyō,[f] Japan underwent a period of industrialization and militarization, the Meiji Restoration being the fastest modernisation of any country to date, all of these aspects contributed to Japan's emergence as a great power and the establishment of a colonial empire following the First Sino-Japanese War, the Boxer Rebellion, the Russo-Japanese War, and World War I. Economic and political turmoil in the 1920s, including the Great Depression, led to the rise of militarism, nationalism and totalitarianism as embodied in the Showa Statism ideology, eventually culminating in Japan's membership in the Axis alliance and the conquest of a large part of the Asia-Pacific in World War II.

Japan's armed forces initially achieved large-scale military successes during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) and the Pacific War. However, starting from 1942, particularly after the Battles of Midway and Guadalcanal, Japan was forced to adopt a defensive stance, and the American island hopping campaign meant that Japan was slowly losing all of the territory it had gained, and eventually, the Americans captured Iwo Jima and Okinawa Island, leaving the Japanese mainland completely unprotected. The U.S. forces had planned an invasion, but Japan surrendered following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the nearly simultaneous Soviet declaration of war on August 9, 1945, and subsequent invasion of Manchuria and other territories. The Pacific War officially came to a close on September 2, 1945. A period of occupation by the Allies followed. In 1947, with American involvement, a new constitution was enacted, officially bringing the Empire of Japan to an end, and Japan's Imperial Army was replaced with the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Occupation and reconstruction continued until 1952, eventually forming the current constitutional monarchy known as Japan.

The Items In This Lot:
- Hinomaru Flag: The national flag of Japan is a rectangular white banner bearing a crimson-red circle at its center. This flag is officially called the Nisshōki (日章旗, 'flag of sun'), but is more commonly known in Japan as the Hinomaru (日の丸, 'circle of the sun'). It embodies the country's sobriquet: the Land of the Rising Sun. The flag is approximately 28 ½” x 26” and shows signs of heavy use and display. The colors are faded and there is tearing present.

- Imperial Army Gunka Song Book: The book measures approximately 6” x 4” and is without a front cover. Up until the surrender of the wartime Japanese government in 1945, gunka were taught in schools both in Japan proper and in the larger Empire. Some gunka songs derived from children songs called shōka. In 1893, the Japanese educator Isawa Shūji released the shōka public school song "Come, Soldiers, Come" (Kitare ya Kitare). This song became a melody in military marches, called "Defense of the Empire" (Teikoku no Mamori). Another gunka derived from a shōka was War Comrade, released in 1905 and remains popular. The song talks about loyalty and friendship and advocated assisting a fellow soldier in battle, which was against the Japanese military code. For that reason, the song was banned during the Asia-Pacific War. Shōka songs "Lieutenant Hirose" (Hirose Chūsa, 1912), "The Meeting at Suishiying", (Suishiei no Kaiken, 1906) are other examples of public school songs that became part of the gunka repertory.

- x3 Handkerchiefs: The handkerchiefs are all in good condition with vivid artwork still present:

- Traditional Japanese Woman: 11” x 11”
- Flower/City Image: 11 ½” x 11”
- Wakaura Tenmangu Shrine: 13 ½” x 13”. This shrine is dedicated to Sugawara-no-Michizane, who was also known as the god of academics. It is noted as one of three major types of Japanese shrines.

- Officer’s Leather Map Case: The map case is in very good condition, showing typical signs of wear. It is hand-stitched, and embroidered with a five-pointed star. This denotes that the owner was of officer rank within the Japanese military. From this we also know that this map case is an earlier example; the later cases were embroidered with a circle instead of a star. One of the sling attachment loops is broken on the back.

All items come more than ready for further research and display.

  • This product is available for international shipping.
  • Eligible for all payments - Visa, Mastercard, Discover, AMEX, Paypal & Sezzle

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