Original Item: One-of-a-kind. Just purchased from a large military show. This hand painted cloth flag is not marked with the usual battle quotes such as "Banzai", and "Good Luck for Bravery", but just appears to be names. The overall condition is quite nice and even has two temple stamps, making this an even better offering.

The flag measures approximately 33 ½” x 27”, and is made of what appears to be rayon, with the red "sun" dyed into the middle. Overall the flag is in good condition with some tearing present and is the real deal: a genuine US GI "bring back"!

The writing is still clearly legible, and this would make a fine display piece for a wall or glass table, or even a translation project. The flag has no corner ties or reinforcements present. There are scattered areas of staining as well as tearing.

Ready to 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.