Japanese good luck flags - one with red stamp of soldier

[Oceansider]

Living near Camp Pendleton I've bought more than a few WWII Japanese yosegaki flags from local veterans and their families. Picked up two this week from the widow of a WWII Army officer. I am used to seeing the same large text on these flags, but these appear to have something different. Plus, the smaller flag has red stamps of a Japanese soldier - anyone know what that's about?
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[Oceansider]

The smaller one above is 25 x 27 inches. The larger one is 37 x 26.

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[GeorgeP]

The top one with soldier stamps was created by a non-Japanese hand. There was a notorious seller on ebay named Cupman who utilized stamps like the soldier example on yours to "gussy up" his flags.

The small rubberized pouch was used for chemical warfare defense. It contained powder for the eyes.

The bottom flag looks ok, imo.


Tom

[Oceansider]

The top one with soldier stamps was created by a non-Japanese hand. There was a notorious seller on ebay named Cupman who utilized stamps like the soldier example on yours to "gussy up" his flags.

The small rubberized pouch was used for chemical warfare defense. It contained powder for the eyes.

The bottom flag looks ok, imo.


Tom

This veteran died in 1992 and this has been in his family since long before that, so ebay was not the source. I wonder if it's one of the ones cooked up by the Navy CB's in occupied Japan?

[GeorgeP]

Quite possible. The CB's were very creative with flags and several designs are out there.


Tom

[Oceansider]

Quite possible. The CB's were very creative with flags and several designs are out there.


Tom

Thanks so much .

Some GI's (and CB's) made a lot of money selling fantasy replicas in occupied Japan. I've seen a photo of one CB unit's fake flag factory in Okinawa: one of their flags 75 years old could be an interesting war souvenir in its own right. The fact that they added things never found on a real flag - such as the red soldier stamp - shows they weren't too worried about authenticity: how many 1945 buyers had any idea at all about what are now see as obvious discrepancies that all but shout "fake."

NOTE: this historic image contains period language from World War II

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[MikeB]

hinomaru yosegaki

Tom hit the nail on the head. The flag with the soldier stamp on it is a Cupman special, not matter the story. Along with his anchor and cherry blossom stamp, this was probably his most prolifically used stamp.

MikeB

[Oceansider]

The pouch has a folded up sheet of paper that seems to translate a flag, but I've been told the translation is just a bunch of gibberish.

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[GHP]

The pouch has a folded up sheet of paper that seems to translate a flag, but I've been told the translation is just a bunch of gibberish.

Kanji is correct, but translation is fake as hell.

[GHP]

祈武運長久
Inori bu'un chōkyū
Prayers for Continued Luck in the Fortunes of War


If you parse the phrase kanji by kanji, here's what you get (note the difference to the "translation" you have):

• 祈【Inori】 (n) prayer; supplication
• 武 【Bu】 (n) (1) (arch) the art of war; martial arts; military arts; (2) military force; the sword; (3) valor; bravery; (4) military officer; military man
• 運【Un】 (n) fortune; luck
• 長【Un】Length, long; chief/leader
• 久【Kyū】Long time

broken down into two phrases:

• 武運 【Bu'un】 (n) fortunes of war
• 長久 【Chōkyū】 (n) permanence; perpetuity

＝＝＝＝
Left side of the sun:


表清作
Exorcise/Cleanse your outer side/surface

祝征途
Congratulations on starting your [military] expedition


Recipient's name:

国定安太郎君
Kunisada Yasutarō-kun
Mr. Kunisada Yasutaro [Yasutaro is the given name]



Cheers!
-- Guy

[GHP]

BWA-hahahaha.... the part he has about "the flag" .... comes from instructions on folding the decontamination kit!

目折一第 Me-ori ichi'i. 'First fold'.
目 折 二 第 Me-ori ni'i. 'Second fold''

Flag is
旗
hata

One wonders how much Miss Natividad Castillo was getting paid for her "translations"???

-- Guy