Original Item: One-of-a-kind. Just purchased from a Pacific War collector at a military show, an incredible piece of history! This is a Japanese WWII "Good Luck Flag", which were taken into the field by Japanese soldiers as a memento of their homes. This particular flag was found by USGI's at Ipo Dam on the island of Luzon in the Philippines, where there was a battle in May 1945, which resulted in U.S. forces capturing the dam. The flag was then personalized with the names of about 40 soldiers, as well as with where and when it was signed:

This is the list of names, as best we could read them:

On The Back:

"IPO DAM"
6/6/45
N.M. FLETCHER

Aside from the lovely USGI personalization, this hand painted silk flag is also marked with standard battle quotes such as "Banzai", and "Good Luck". As with most good luck flags, the right side is marked bottom to top with 久 長 運 武, which reads Bu un Chou kyu ("May your military fortunes be long lasting."). Above these is the character 祈, which means "Prayer", so this particular flag is praying for good luck in battle. A lot of additional writing radiates out from the "sun", which are usually the names of many friends and family. This would make a great translation project!

The flag measures approximately 27" x 40", and is made of sheer silk cloth, with the red "sun" dyed into the middle. Flag is in very good condition and is the real deal: a genuine USGI "bring back"!

The flag itself has some small water stains, as well as overall age toning. The writing is still quite legible, though both the Japanese and English writing have bled into the silk fabric. Still ;this would make a fine display piece for a wall or glass table. This type of flag does not have corner reinforcements, and shows no signs of every having them.

A phenomenal collector's item, with loads of research potential! Ready to display!

Battle of Ipo Dam
On 19 May 1945, during WWII, the dam was captured in the Battle of Ipo Dam. "Marking's Guerrillas" Yay Regiment, under the command of Col. Marcos V. Agustin, and the 43rd Division, supported by the Fifth Air Force, captured the water source intact from the Japanese defenders.

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.