Okinawa Flag: Regimental or personal flag?

[tropenmilitaria]

I have always been curious about this flag that I acquired 10 years ago. The main question I have is whether this is a regimental/unit flag of some sort or just a personal flag? I had it briefly translated back in 2001 by a Japanese student and she said that it reads (in the upper right hand corner) "dedicated to 1000 hills". Would "1000 hills" be the literal translation of the Japanese name or a unit designation of some sort? It is also worthy to mention that the red center is very heavily painted and cannot be folded up which further leads me to think maybe it was hanging somewhere rather than carried on the body as a personal flag? I also lean towards it being a personal flag because of what appears to be blood? on the flag...or perhaps just water stains? The flag also was translated as saying something to the effect of wishing victory over the US forces in the defense of Okinawa. It was acquired in Okinawa by 1st Lt. Asquith of the 1st Marine Division. Any info would be great especially from those with a knowledge of Japanese writing. Thanks.
andy

[tropenmilitaria]

"Dedicated to 1000 hills"

[tropenmilitaria]

Lt. Asquith and his Peleliu "Order of the Deep" from aboard the USS Crescent City in 1944.

[tropenmilitaria]

Imperial Place at "Kyoto".

[speedy101]

That could be some sort of souviner flag, I have never seen a flag quite like it before. I have been told that drawings like the ones on the flag were sometimes done in occupied Japan after the war.

[tropenmilitaria]

That could be some sort of souviner flag, I have never seen a flag quite like it before. I have been told that drawings like the ones on the flag were sometimes done in occupied Japan after the war.

Artwork was not the norm but certainly found on Japanese flags carried in combat. This was captured in combat and from his estate. Mr. Asquith was a front line engineer in Okinawa. The 1st Marine Division served occupation duty in Northern China after the war and not mainland Japan.

[MikeB]

Okinawa Flag....

The key to this flag would be to get it fully translated. The painted, red hinomaru (not lightly screened, but heavily painted) is seen somewhat frequently. They are seen on some mass produced flags and homemade ones too. This kind of flag is a challenge to fold as everything reduces nicely except for the stiff, heavy red center. It's often as stiff as a board! The artwork does look like the souvenir of service type of images, especially with the arch and Mt. Fuji. I have seen both replicated on flags, however, that were not post-War flags but rather vintage ones. Observe too that the slogan, BUUN CHOKYU (Good Luck on the Battlefield) is found on the top of the sun. This was placed on the flag when the soldier was readying himself for service deployment. A flag with a slogan like this would almost always be a vintage Japanese soldier's flag, not something made after the War. Perhaps Edokko can look over the images when he returns from Japan and give us a better idea of what the lines say. At this point, my inclination is that it is a period (not a post-War) flag. MikeB

[Bob Coleman]

The image on the flag is not the Imperial Palace but a famous Buddist Temple in Kyoto. This would lead me to believe that the flag was purchased by the soldier's family at either the temple or one of the many shops that line the road leading up the hill where the temple and pagoda were built 1000 years ago

[peleliuexplorer]

The 1st Marine Division never occupied Japan but did occupation duty in China after the Japanese surrender. Do you know what unit (company/battalion/regiment) the vet was assinged to? Looks like he served on Peleliu too.

Thanks, Eric

[peleliuexplorer]

The image on the flag is not the Imperial Palace but a famous Buddist Temple in Kyoto. This would lead me to believe that the flag was purchased by the soldier's family at either the temple or one of the many shops that line the road leading up the hill where the temple and pagoda were built 1000 years ago

Not likely as the 1st Mar. Div. did not occupy Japan after the war.

-Eric

[MikeB]

Okinawa flag....

Hi Bob-
Kyoto is known as the City of 1000 Temples and that could explain the "1000 rivers" earlier translation. The drawing does appear to be that of the Toji Temple in Kyoto (also known as the Eastern Temple.) It is a famous five story wooden temple/pagoda (the tallest wooden structure in Japan) that was built around 796 AD. In 823, Emperor Saga gave the temple to the priest Kukai who later founded the Shingon sect of Buddhism. At one time, there was another pagoda that matched it called the Western Temple. Initially, they acted as guard gates to the city. That's about all I know of Toji, sorry. mikeb

[tropenmilitaria]

Thanks for the help MikeB and Bob. I guess what Bob is saying is that the family might have purchased the flag with the artwork already drawn and then added the names of well wishers? The Japanese girl who translated it said she found about 3 military officers who signed it and other civilians also. She pointed out the well wishing slogan "against Okinawa invaders" in the lower right hand corner. "Mt. Fuji" and "Kyoto" were also translated under each picture. As far as I know it was Mr. Asquith's only Japanese bring back which makes it special to him and me. Thanks for the help once again.
andy

[tropenmilitaria]

The 1st Marine Division never occupied Japan but did occupation duty in China after the Japanese surrender. Do you know what unit (company/battalion/regiment) the vet was assinged to? Looks like he served on Peleliu too.

Thanks, Eric

He was assigned to the 1st Engineer Regiment of the 1st Marine Division. I have the paper somewhere with his company level and all the awards that he won on Okinawa and Peleliu but I will have to find them. His retirement paper states that he retired in Jan. 1958 from the USMC... Captain Darrell P. Asquith 026830 USMCR.

[MikeB]

Okinawa Flag...

Hi Andy-
No, I understand what Bob said about the artwork. For this discussion, how it got there really isn't key. That would simply be part of "the story." As a matter of fact, the folks doing the artwork in 1943, 1944, or 1945 could have been the same ones doing it in 1946-1952 on souvenir flags. The images would have looked the same +/- but the content of the characters would have been different for a post-War flag. The style of artwork on your flag does appear on post-war flags too as was pointed out. This makes sense since Mt. Fuji, Toji Temple and the arch were all seen time and time again by Occupation forces who may have taken a souvenir flag back to the U.S. For a Japanese soldier departing for war, these may have been the same images he took with him as reminders from where he left as well. Sounds to me like you already have much of the flag translated......mikeb

[tropenmilitaria]

Hi Mike,
I guess what everyone is saying is to be very skeptical of artwork on flags since this was the norm doing the occupation but in this particular flag's case you think it to be a wartime personal flag sent to a single Japanese soldier by his family? The translation I received back in 2002 was very quick and brief and I hope to have it fully translated and written down...I just don't know any Japanese speaking people right now. The Japanese girl who did translate it said it was in "old Japanese writing"? and was hard for younger Japanese to understand. Is there more than one style of Japanese writing? Thanks.
-andy