1 review    
Item:
ON11809

Original Japanese WWII Worn Good Luck Flag with Many Temple Stamps and "Power" Characters - 28" x 31"

Item Description

Original Item: One-of-a-kind. Just purchased from a large military auction. This is definitely different from any other Japanese "Good Luck" flag we have handled before. Usually they will have messages from friends and family, including names and patriotic phrases. This example however just has numerous "Temple Stamps" in the middle, and around them lots of  characters, read as "chikara", which means "Power", "Energy", or "Force". Definitely the right character to put on a flag for good luck in battle!

The flag measures approximately 28" x 31", and is made of what appears to be standard cotton cloth, with the red "sun" a separate piece sewn into the middle. Flag is in good condition and is the real deal: a genuine USGI "bring back"! 

Unlike many we see, this is a good luck flag that actually has a significant amount of service wear. It is now mostly a beige color, with wear and significant degradation of the fabric. It looks weathered and wind whipped, especially the side opposite the hanging end, so it may have been somewhat longer originally.

A very interesting Japanese good luck flag, 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.

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