Japanese Flag

**kingsmountaincollector** · 07-15-2021, 06:13 PM

I purchased this flag about a week ago and thought I'd share it with everyone on the forum. The condition of the flag is rough. It is missing a portion of the right side and has stains and other damage. I'm not sure if any of it would be possible to translate, considering the condition. Either way, it is a very important piece of history that needs to be preserved. All comments are welcome.

**Nick Komiya** · 07-15-2021, 06:36 PM

It bugs me that the writing direction is left to right (post war). I won't be comfortable with this flag, sorry.

**kingsmountaincollector** · 07-15-2021, 11:26 PM

Nick,

I appreciate your post regarding the flag I purchased. Do you know when the Japanese started writing from left to right? I'm just curious if Kanji was sometimes written from left to right during WWII. I found a flag posted on the National Army Museum's website that is written from left to right like mine, that was captured on Ramree Island in 1945. I have seen flags in the past with them written like this, but I suppose they could have been unauthentic.

Thank you,
--Joel

Japanese flag captured on Ramree Island, January 1945 | Online Collection | National Army Museum, London

**Nick Komiya** · 07-16-2021, 10:17 AM

Even in wartime, exceptions existed where Japanese was written left to right, as in scientific papers where math formulas needed to be shown, etc, but as that was highly exceptional, that already needs to be regarded as a red flag. Then it becomes a question, whether other features of the flag strongly support its authenticity enough to be a plausible exception. Your flag had been washed, shows remarkably little variance in handwriting style and badly mutilated, which are all further red flags, making the total overwhelmingly implausible, at least to me. It's your money, so you'll have to decide.

**jeeplover** · 07-17-2021, 02:07 AM

is this flag good or not? this is what is so hard on collectors this flag is posted in the Facebook flag group and everyone is congratulation him on such a nice flag. i respect nick second to none he says it is bad i have no choice to go with that. he will also give specifics as to why. how come you nick notice these things that others just let pass? WWII Japanese Silk Flag WW2 Battle | eBay

**Nick Komiya** · 07-17-2021, 10:05 AM

Even when you cannot read Japanese, it is always possible to exercise some common sense about the universal nature of man such as one's love for one's family and friends.

It is important to understand what these flags meant to the Japanese soldier. In the field, this was about the only physical reminder that connected him to his home, friends and loved ones. They were no different from photos of family or girlfriends that US soldiers clung to. Would GIs defile their girlfriend's photos by allowing it to be soiled as if it had been used to wipe oneself after being on the toilet or rip out a quarter of the precious photo, where the dedication is normally written?

Such mutilations only happen in the hands of an enemy or a faker. Thus even in the off chance that this flag was real, it's authenticity is at best only equal to a Type 90 helmet repainted in sky blue by some GI: no longer authentic in condition.

**jeeplover** · 07-17-2021, 04:13 PM

i think it is sad because all the years spent in forums are getting unraveled by Facebook. it is not that there are no knowledgeable people it is like they are scared to speak up so they just let the rumors continue. i don't know how many times I refer people to the articles by nick. my reason is i feel he takes the time to get it right and when you have the documentation it is hard to disagree even tho some do. oh well, i have a place for everything and i have a small library and know the people to talk to.