Original Item: One-of-a-kind. Just purchased as part of a large Pacific War private collection. This hand painted cloth flag is marked with battle quotes such as "Banzai", and "Good Luck". It also has quite a lot of Japanese writing, which we unfortunately have not been able to translate. We haven't seen a flag with this much writing in some time! There is also much writing radiating out from the "sun", which are usually the names of many friends and family.

The flag measures approximately 29" x 44", and is made of what appears to be rayon, with the red "sun" a separate dyed into the middle. This is definitely one of the larger examples that we have had, with loads of markings.

Flag is in very good condition and is the real deal: a genuine USGI "bring back"! 

The flag itself is in great shape, and still has vibrant colors, with minimal age toning. There are a few stains and tiny holes, as well as a bit of fraying at the seams, but otherwise it's in great shape. The leather corner reinforcements are intact, complete with their hanging ties.

A great large well-marked example, ready to 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 completely unique is written in old KANJI the writing are mainly Japanese names of this soldier's family and friends with quotes and phrases.