Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is a truly gruesome reminder of the horrors of war. This hand painted cloth flag is marked with battle quotes such as "Banzai", and "Good Luck", along with many signatures of friends & family. This example has more signatures and writing than most we have seen. The top right corner of this example is heavily stained with what is very obviously blood, and was likely taken from the body of a Japanese soldier by an American. One very interesting inscription is on the far left, with a mention of the United States of America. We are unsure if this is damning America, or mentioning it for some other reason, but it will certainly make for a fascinating research project.

It is also signed with the names of many friends and family, some radiating out from the center. The flag measures approximately 28" x 36", and is made of what appears to be rayon cloth, an early faux silk semi-synthetic material made from wood, with the red "sun" dyed into the middle. This example has no leather tabs and instead has small string coming from two corners, but it is missing on one corner. The flag is in great battlefield pickup condition and is and is the real deal: a genuine USGI "bring back"! The bloodstain on the right top corner definitely makes this a macabre piece, but one very worthy of framing and display to represent the true horrors of war.

Ready for further research and display!

The Good Luck Flag, known as hinomaru yosegaki (日の丸 寄せ書き) in the Japanese language, was a traditional gift for Japanese servicemen deployed during the military campaigns of the Empire of Japan, though most notably during World War II. The flag given to a soldier was a national flag signed by friends and family, often with short messages wishing the soldier victory, safety, and good luck.

The Japanese call their country's flag hinomaru, which translates literally to "sun-round", referencing the red circle on a white field. When the hinomaru was signed, the Japanese characters were usually written vertically, and radiated outward from the edge of the red circle. This practice is referenced in the second term, yosegaki, meaning "sideways-writing". The phrase hinomaru-yosegaki can be interpreted as "To write sideways around the red sun", describing the appearance of the signed flag. This particular example is completely unique and is written in old KANJI. The writings are mainly Japanese names of this soldier's family and friends with quotes and phrases.