Item:
ON11026

Original Japanese WWII Hand Painted Cloth Good Luck Flag with Temple Stamp - 18" x 26"

Item Description

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 has a good amount of Japanese writing, which we unfortunately have not been able to translate. Pretty much all of the writing radiates out from the "sun", which are usually the names of many friends and family. There are a few Kanji that are above and below the sun, but we have not been able to translate these.

The flag measures approximately 18" x 26", and is made of what appears to be cotton or maybe linen, with the red "sun" dyed into the middle. This flag also has a very nice red "Temple Stamps" in the two corners near the hanging ties, something we don't see very often at all. The white cloth has faded to a beige color, a typical process called age toning. There are also various small stains and dirt marks, possibly from when it was picked up by a USGI.

The flag measures approximately 18" x 26", and is made of what appears to be cotton or maybe linen, with the red "sun" dyed into the middle. This flag also has a very nice red "Temple Stamps" in the two corners near the hanging ties, something we don't see very often at all. The writing is all clear, and would make a great research project for someone able to read WWII Era Japanese.

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

The white cloth of the flag has faded to a beige color, a typical process called age toning. There are also various small stains and dirt marks, possibly from when it was picked up by a USGI. The original corner reinforcements are present, with the original cotton hang ties.

A great service worn 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.

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

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Cash For Collectibles