Original Item: One-of-a-kind. Just purchased from a Pacific War collector at a military show! This hand painted silk flag is marked with battle quotes such as "Banzai", and "Good Luck". It also has a multitude of different signatures and phrases, one of which appears to be written in "Grass Writing", or Japanese cursive script. 

The flag is signed with the names of many friends and family, radiating out from the "sun". It is somewhat on the smaller side, measuring approximately 19" x 28", and is made of light cotton or lien cloth, with the red "sun" dyed into the middle. Flag is in good service used condition and is the real deal: a genuine USGI "bring back"!  It even has a stamped name MARUSO in the upper left corner, probably the last name of the soldier that brought it home.

The flag has definitely seen quite a bit of weather and use, indicated by he many stains and wear to the fabric. There are some small holes in areas, as well as pulling of the edge seams. Still, the original gold foil corner reinforcements are solid, and 3 of 4 hanging ties are still present.

This would display perfectly under a glass table, or on the wall. This flag has a worn look that is impossible to duplicate. 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.