WWII Japanese (silk hinomaru) flag needing translation. Is the signature real or a fake?

[godzilla2007]

I was thinking of acquiring this flag but not confident of the signature. Could someone give their assessment of this flag and signature.


Silk flag which measures 28-1/2" X 36"







Thanks, D.

[Nick Komiya]

That flag was signed by Admiral Kouichi Shiozawa. Check the Japanese version of Wiki for far more details. He attained the rank of Admiral on 15th Nov. 1939, was a very close friend of Yamamoto, and died very soon after his friend on 17th Nov. 1943. So the flag was signed during that time bracket. The flag was given by him to an Ichikawa.

Not a very exciting flag, but his signature does check out with his handwriting on two other hanging scrolls with Chinese mottos, as shown below.

[godzilla2007]

Nick, thanks for the quick reply!! I was able to pull the trigger and purchase this flag with confidence.





Background on Admiral Kōichi Shiozawa:

Kōichi Shiozawa (塩沢 幸一 Shiozawa Kōichi, March 5, 1881 – November 17, 1943) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Second Sino-Japanese War. The literary critic Rinsen Nakazawa was his older brother.

Shiozawa was born in Matsumoto city, Nagano prefecture. His family was distillers of the famed traditional medicinal tonic "Yomeishu". Joining the navy on 16 December 1901, he passed out from the 32nd class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy on 14 November 1904, ranking 2nd out of 192 cadets. Famed admiral Isoroku Yamamoto was in the same class.

He served as midshipman on the Karasaki and battleship Asahi during the Russo-Japanese War. Promoted to ensign on August 31, 1905, he was assigned to the destroyer Hibiki and as a sub-lieutenant (from September 29, 1907), to the Mikasa. Following his promotion to lieutenant on October 11, 1909, he was assigned to the battleship Sagami followed by the cruiser Tone.

After graduating from the 13th class of the Navy Staff College in 1914, he was promoted to lieutenant commander on December 1, and was assigned as a naval observer to the United Kingdom from 1917-1919. He served as part of the Royal Navy crew on the HMS Resolution and HMS Royal Oak in combat operations in World War I against the German Navy in 1917, as part of Japan's contribution under the Anglo-Japanese Alliance. Promoted to commandeer on December 1, 1919, after his return to Japan, he served in a number of staff positions. He was promoted to captain on December 1, 1923. He became captain of the heavy cruiser Furutaka in 1926. In late 1926 to early 1927, he again served as naval attaché to the United Kingdom. On his return in 1928, he was promoted to rear admiral on December 10.

Shiozawa was Chief of Staff of the IJN 1st Fleet from October 30, 1929 to December 1, 1930, and commander of the 1st China Expeditionary Fleet to June 1932.

At the time of the First Shanghai Incident of January 1932, Shiozawa was in command of a cruiser, four destroyers and two aircraft carriers anchored in the Yangtze River off the international city of Shanghai. They had come to protect Japanese citizens from attacks by Chinese mobs. In response, Nationalist forces moved into the Chinese suburb of Chapei and skirmished with patrolling Japanese marines. With his men giving way to the more numerous Chinese forces, Shiozawa ordered planes from his carriers to drop bombs over densely populated Chapei. The attack killed or injured thousands of civilians, and earned Japan the condemnation of the League of Nations.

From December 1932, Shiozawa was commander of the Chinkai Guard District. Shiozawa was promoted to vice admiral on November 15, 1933. He was Director of Naval Air Command from 1934–1935, Commander-in-chief of the Maizuru Naval District from 1935–1936 and of the Sasebo Naval District from 1936-1937. When the IJN 5th Fleet was formed on February 1, 1938 Shiozawa became its first Commander. During his command he oversaw the Amoy Operation and the Canton Operation from October to December 1938. He was decorated with the Order of the Sacred Treasure (1st class) on August 13, 1938. From January 1939, he was Director of the Naval Shipbuilding Command.

Shiozawa was promoted to full admiral on November 15, 1939. He commanded the Yokosuka Naval District from September 5, 1940 to September 10, 1941.

In May 1943, following Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto's death in action, Shiozawa, a lifelong friend, presided over his state funeral. Shiozawa died a few months later, in November 1943 of an acute pancreas ailment.

[tomp]

Nice pick up!


Tom

[godzilla2007]

5 Mar 1881 Koichi Shiozawa was born in Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan
30 Oct 1929 Koichi Shiozawa was named the chief of staff of the Japanese 1st Fleet.
1 Dec 1930 Koichi Shiozawa stepped down as the chief of staff of the Japanese 1st Fleet.
1 Dec 1932 Admiral Koichi Shiozawa was named the commanding officer of Chinkai Guard District in southern Korea.
1 Feb 1938 Koichi Shiozawa was named the commanding officer of the Japanese 5th Fleet.

November 15, 1939 - Shiozawa was promoted to full admiral
September 5, 1940 to September 10, 1941 - He commanded the Yokosuka Naval District
May of 1943. - Admiral Yamamoto's died when his bomber was ambushed by American P-38's over Bougainville
July 26th, 1943 - Lifelong friend Admiral Shiozawa presided over Admiral Yamamoto's state funeral
November 1943 - Admiral Shiozawa dies of an acute pancreas ailment

The above flag was signed by Admiral Shiozawa and presented to Mr. Ichikawa between November 1939 and November 1943 timeframe.

[godzilla2007]

I found a mention of then Vice Admiral Shiozawa in this book which states he was nicknamed "The Baby Killer" due to he, according to the author, supposedly sent aircraft from his carriers to strafe Chinese soldiers and bomb civilian targets killing hundreds of innocent women and children:

Boot Title:
Black Ships to Mushroom Clouds: A Story of Japan's Stormy Century 1853-1945
by Arne Markland

Book Overview
The arrival of Commodore Perry's four black ships rudely awakened Japan from centuries of slumber and isolation. The Japanese soon realized their feudal system needed to lay a foundation for a modern military. Japan's shortages of tin, steel, rubber and oil eventually led to WWII, culminating in the atomic bomb at Hiroshima and Nagasaki.







He is mentioned as Admiral Shiozawa this book:

Britain and China, 1840-1970: Empire, Finance and War
edited by Robert Bickers, Jonathan J. Howlet







and ad Rear Admiral Shiozawa in this book:
The Lius of Shanghai By Sherman Cochran

[godzilla2007]

Madera Tribune, Volume LI, Number 220, 17 November 1943

JAPANESE ADMIRAL DIES SUDDENLY

Rv United Press
The Japanese navy ministry today announced that Admiral Koichi Shiozawa, member of the supreme military council, died of “acute pancreas trouble.” His death was the third among high-ranking Japanese war leaders reported within two days.

[Nick Komiya]

That is not much for a lot of reading around. As I said, you will gain a lot more info by checking out Wikipedia in Japanese and use Google to translate it. I gave you the link to the English Wiki page in my first post, but the Japanese pages offer far more like all the vessels he commanded and all his orders,etc.

[godzilla2007]

What was Admiral Shiozawa doing in 1936? He was just hangin out with the emperor!

from the Brandon Daily Sun Newspaper - Monday, November 9th, 1936

[godzilla2007]

Thanks again Nick. I'm on the Kōichi Shiozawa Japanese Wiki with Google Translate. Looks like I will be busy there is a ton of info. You are right the info on this wiki is much more detailed too.

Also, I google translated the 145th Inft. Rgt, 2nd Inf. veterans testimonials from Iwo Jima link you provided in my last post ...aka the 145th Inft. Rgt, 2nd Inft, possible Iwo Jima Japanese Dog Tag post. Off to the side of the videos they had text that was translatable. I was able to read what each veterans perspective was prior to and during the American landing. Very interesting to hear it straight from the men who were there.