Facebook Marketplace Strikes Again - Chinese Welcome Flag? I think not.

[Midwest Picker]

This morning I decided to surf Facebook Marketplace for any Chinese antiques I could come across as I'm teaching myself Mandarin and have a new found interest in such things. Nonetheless I was a bit shocked when my keyword search "Chinese" turned up this:


A so-called "Chinese Welcome Flag" which had for whatever reason been listed in the garden section. I tapped together a quick post asking for a verification of authenticity and Mr. Coleman kindly lent his expertise! I've been in the market for such a flag for some time and had planned to buy one at an upcoming auction at the end of this month. The $200 price tag may be high, however it is a very nice 28 inches by 32 inches and has that been there look. I met up with the seller at a McDonald's about an hour away from my home and did the deal. I likely looked strange getting a photograph taken holding a Hinomaru flag in the parking lot of McDonalds, noenthless I needed a photo to joke about the time I bought a Japanese flag in the parking lot of McDonald's.

There appears to be a fair number of small scattered blood stains and some stains (I presume they are blood) on the red center itself. The seller stated the flag had belonged to her now deceased husband's father who had kept it in a chest (I would assume it was his footlocker from his service, but who knows). I'm doing some research to find the name of the husband's father to keep it with the flag as long as I have it (though in all likelyhood this is one of those items I'll keep for my eclectic private collection).

Does anyone with a knowledge of the Japanese language know if there is a name of the soldier on this flag? I would love to know both the name of the soldier who carried this flag and will hopefully soon know the name of the soldier who collected it as a war trophy. Thank you!

[MAP]

LoL!!! Certainly not a "welcome" flag for the Chinese!

Looks like a nice piece and lucky pick up!

I'm sure Guy or Nick or others might be able to help with some of the kanji translation and confirmation on originality of the signatures.

[ghp95134]

Good looking flag. Presented to Shimizu Seikichi

清水清吉君
Shimizu Seikichi-kun
Mr. Shimizu Seikichi
[清吉 also read as Kiyoyoshi/Kiyokichi]

He worked at the

理研工業株式会社木根川工場
Riken Kōgyō Kabushikigaisha Kinegawa Kōjō
Riken Manufacturing, Co. LTD; Kinegawa Factory


--Guy

[ghp95134]

Follow-up. Just in case you're not aware, 清水 Shimizu is the family name.

--Guy

[Midwest Picker]

Guy,

Thank you so much! I was indeed blisffuly unaware! I've reached out to the Company that owned the factory during the war in the hopes there might be something about him in their archives, my next stop will be a letter to the National Institute for Defense Studies. Hopefully I can gather some more information on Mr. Shimizu. Thanks again so very much!