Original Item. Only One Available. This is a great example of a Japanese Good Luck flag, with a staggering 33 signatures, all by Japanese Officers, who are connected by a means we have yet to discover. They may have all been from the same town, or from the same graduating class at the Army Academy, we just aren’t sure.

There may be a clue with the writing under one of the names, which translates to Gratitude and offerings of comfort. This could indicate that the men fathered to sign the flag that was given to the family of someone who had been killed in action. A great research project.

The flag measures roughly 28 ½ x 30” and retains one of its leather corner reinforcements, the other only having a shadow of where the leather was. Both tie strings are retained however. The flag is in heavily flown and worn condition with heavy tearing across with some repairs in the center area.

The signatures of the officers include 9 infantry officers, 7 medical officers, 3 artillery officers, 3 supply officers, 2 combat engineer officers, and 1 communications officer. Most of them also write their rank, most of them being lieutenants but also some captains, warrant officers, officer candidates, and medical officers.

The flag is made of what appears to be rayon cloth, an early form of synthetic cloth made from wood, with the red "sun" dyed piece sewn into the middle. The flag is in fair but rough condition and is the real deal. The writing is still mostly legible, and this would make a fine display piece for a wall or glass table. These are getting harder and harder to find in any condition.

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.