Real Japanese Flag or not ?

[GoForBroke]

This flag is currently for sale in an auction and I am not quite as knowledgeable in flags as I am in bayonets. Is is real or not ? And if so what would one typically go for ?

[Nick Komiya]

It does look like a pre-45 commercial patriotic flag, but check with black light to be sure. These were civilian flags normally waved when sending someone from the neighborhood off to war. Because of the centered position of the orb, this type is often misidentified as an army flag vs a naval rising sun, but the army has not had such a rising sun flag since 1874, so it is in no way army. It is rather an unofficial variant of the meatball national flag that came to represent both the army and navy.

These small flags were strictly civilian celebration props and not used in any official capacity in the military.

[GoForBroke]

Ahh I see. So what differs it from an Imperial Japanes Army flag ? Are there slight differences ?

[Nick Komiya]

The official National flag for both Army and Navy was the meatball flag. This civilian flag is usually mistaken as an army regimental banner

[GoForBroke]

Ahh I see. Thanks for the info !