WW2 flag with Korean overture and kanji

[MilitaryCollect]

...

[MikeB]

WW2 Flag with Korean....

Hello Guy-
Right you are. Along with "writing" I should have put "Japanese" in quotes as well. I also should have not assumed that everyone knew the Japanese adopted "kanji" from the Chinese. As long as we are at it, I guess "writing" is completely wrong as well since the characters were placed on the flag with a brush and ink. Pens were a Western introduction, and the Japanese preferred to use brush strokes. Mike

[TWP]

As long as we are at it, I guess "writing" is completely wrong as well since the characters were placed on the flag with a brush and ink. Pens were a Western introduction, and the Japanese preferred to use brush strokes. Mike

Good point.

[GHP]

TWP,

Perhaps I missed it, but I do not see "Nippon" on that flag at all. Are you refering to the "Hisshou" -- which means total victory? You often see that on kamikazi headbands.

Hisshou might have been brushed by a Japanese when that flag was a "Hinomaru" flag -- then converted.

You're right about names, I see many for Kim, Ri, Pak, and Chong.

I graduated the Monterey Institute of International Studies with a minor in Japanese language. Right after that (I was in a "back to college" army program) I was assigned to Tonguchon, ROK where I was deputy G5 in the 2nd Inf Div; 6 months later I was the commanding officer of the Chejudo Training Center, on Cheju Island.

Right after that I was assigned to Japan from Jan 1990 - Oct 1994; so I've had plenty of "face-time" in Northeast Asia. Oh .... I married my language professor .... so she constantly gives me hell for not knowing enough Japanese to speak to her parents.

Cheers .... dinner time.
--Guy

[Eric Doody]

Hi Eric,

I just found my older Nelson's and double-checked that "ji-negau" kanji/hanja. According to Nelson, there is no compound "Ji-Gan". Ji means "self/oneself", gan/negau (kanji #255) has two readings and meanings. As "gan" it means "prayer, petition, vow; when read as "negau" the same kanji means desire, wish, hope implore, desire, wish, request.

Tanomoshii is kanji # 5129 -- the left-half of that kanji is different from what is on the flag; the right-half is the same.

Another poster, Kennethc, says the hanja mean "volunteer" -- which makes sense if you cobble "self" and "request" into a meaning. I just checked the ShinEiWa Jiten and found "volunteer" -- Shigan. The "gan" is the same on the flag. So I suppose "JiGan" is a Korean/Chinese version of volunteer. (Shigan in Nelson's old Dictionary is #1064, compound #19).

This has indeed been a fun bit of research.

Cheers,
Guy

Guy,

Yes, GAN, I see it now. Looks like I was in the right church, but the wrong pew. Thanks.

Eric

[boyt44]

I had my wife (Korean) look at this flag,and she could not make any more out of it than has already been mentioned,saying that the names were Korean names. She did say that the flag seemed to be protesting something, but I could not get her to explain why she felt that way.

[TWP]

Hey Guy, thanks for that interesting info on your history in the North Pacific and of your education and service.
I have always felt respect and affinity towards those American soldiers who took the time to get to know and respect the people and culture there.
Please give my regards to your wife.
And yes, you are probably correct. I mistaked the 2 characters for NiHon. I thought it looked a bit strange, so I know assume I was wrong.
Boyt44, I will try to have my someone I know look at the characters and see what they make of it.
Cheers
Tay