"Meat Ball" Flag. Help needed

**travisgreyfox** · 02-21-2017, 01:30 AM

Hello all. I have been using this forum for information for years now and for some reason have never signed up. I am usually hanging out in eastern front related pages. Now to my question,

I just picked up this flag/banner the other day and was just wanting to know everyone's opinions on it. I do not know if it is a real one or not, or what it says.

**travisgreyfox** · 02-21-2017, 01:31 AM

I would also like to know what that sticker is all about on pic 2. (it is a very old sticker).

**chen** · 02-21-2017, 02:22 AM

Pl. post a better clear photo of that sticker.

**MAP** · 02-21-2017, 02:53 AM

On behalf of our newest member (and welcome)

Enlarged, rotated and improved the sharpness/focus.

**chen** · 02-21-2017, 04:17 AM

1.Product of Japan manufacture
2. Central manufacture
3.System of Distribution
4. Company( Japan)
5. These wording are written in stylish style. I believe it is an quality inspection marking.

**travisgreyfox** · 02-21-2017, 04:32 AM

WOW, Great! Thanks so much guys. You will be seeing lots more of me on here because I am just getting my feet wet collecting Japanese (war related) items. I just bought my first Arisaka and bayonet the other day and now this.

Hey Chen could you read any of the hand writing on the flag?

Also, do you guys believe this thing is authentic? I know that sticker would be hard to fake, but I hear lots of stories of post war souvenirs being made for troops even up to the 1950s.

**MAP** · 02-21-2017, 05:00 AM

I'm sure someone will be around to help translate a few of the writings on the flag and give a few on authenticity.

In the meantime please post the rifle and bayo.

If you haven't checked out this site, it is a handy guide to the markings on both.

Markings on Japanese Arisaka Rifles and Bayonets of World War II

**travisgreyfox** · 02-21-2017, 05:27 AM

Thanks for the info. I will take pics and start another thread tomorrow with my T-38. The rifle I recently bought may be of particular interest because it appears to have some serious battle damage (IE bullet/shrapnel dent in receiver, among other damage.)

**MAP** · 02-21-2017, 05:47 AM

We have some Arisaka nuts here, I'm sure they will be happy to see it. I like them as well. Missing a paratrooper version however...

**Nick Komiya** · 02-21-2017, 08:21 AM

This flag can be dated between 1942 and 1944 May. The first date is from the name of the distribution and manufacturing control organization on the sticker. The second date is from the name of the organization on the flag, which changed from 1944 May. That was an organization for assisting people inducted into war production.
You are displaying the flag upside down, so I show you below the correct orientation with the key to the 1944 date marked.

What Chen translated as saying "product of Japan" is actually saying "Japanese style clothing" like Kimono, which had a different distribution network from Western style wear.

The writing to the left of the red mark is the first line of a poem from Takeo Hirose saying "Futile is the contemplation of life and death until nature demands it". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takeo_Hirose He was familiar with the Chinese classics, so he styled the poem after one by Wen Tiangxiang of the 13th Century https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wen_Tianxiang

The one who got presented the flag does not have his name on the flag. There is no problem regarding authenticity.

The messages say----

-Banzai
-Wish you good results
-Celebrating the leap forward into action
-Wishing you everlasting fortunes in battle
-Fiercely determined service (to the nation)

Otherwise they are all names