New flag find, translation help needed!!!Family heirloom

[Smokeshow]

So I have known for quite some time that my parents had this flag in a box at their house but couldn't find it. Finally they found it and when I was visiting them I was able to take some pics. I would love it if someone could translate it for me!! The flag was taken on Okinawa in 1945 but other than that no one knows any more specifics. I would also like to display it by framing in and was wondering if you guys any suggestions about proper display and preservation? I was going to frame it in a anti-uv glass and put it on acid free paper. The flag' s sun is kinda tacky even after all those years so I would probably also need to find something to put over it before I frame it so it does not stick to the glass. Any help is appreciated.

[Jareth]

please, please do not take what I'm about to say as an insult. The flags looks like a typical, seabee made "souvinerr" flag. They were notorious fakers. When I say fake I mean the flag was made during WW2 & sold or traded to G.I.s looking for souvineers. They cut up material, used iodine for the center & often copied kanji from anything Japanese they could find. Most real flags were silk or thinner material, had corner reinforcements & string ties. Let's see what others have to say but that is my initial thought & I hope I'm wrong.

[gunto]

Its not written by a japanese person.

[maverick87]

Gunto is correct. The kanji was definately not written by a Japanese person. Half of the characters are incorrect or out of proportion.

The top part says "Japan". Not sure what the left side says. I think they are attempting to write a name or english word because they use katakana. "Lasobov"? I dont know.

The right side says, from top to bottom, " day, see, the sun". Maybe the guy who made this saw the sun that day?

I know an American made this for sure, but based on the signature at the bottom, at least its authentic to the time.

[Smokeshow]

Yeah, that's kinda what I was thinking in my head. The characters where first written in pencil on the flag and then traced over. I was wondering about the kanji but I wanted to check with you guys before confirming my suspicion.

[ZERO-sen]

this is gaijin kanji.

[Nick Komiya]

On the right is a cute attempt at writing Rising Sun, which employs the correct Japanese phraseology for the Japanese translation of Hemingway's title, "The Sun (also) rises", but not for the "Rising Sun" that the faker intended. He asked a Japanese to spell it out for him, but didn't brief the native speaker well enough to get the context right.

[mcmike]

When Capitalism goes bad......

Interesting that the Seabees are still gyping people after over 65 years! Here is my "Seabee Special"; I should have been suspicious when they said it was a yoseguchi. On the back, near the bottom, it says "made by Cupman's Grandpa".

http://s1020.photobucket.com/albums/...t=IMG_0699.jpg

So, now is a good time to show your shame. If you have a "faux Yo", share it here.

[Geoff Ward]

Try not to feel so bad.People of all nations have made "False items"Sometimes they were sold to provide food for families .It is when they are sold to deleberatly screw people to take advantage of people ... the unsuspecting that it really gets me!Although this piece appears to me to be a "Fabricated piece"It may indeed be a period made piece won in a poker game.Many of our guys were not able to claim they had been able to Kill a Japanese soldier at close quarters,(At the time a heroic and masculine Triumph)There was the "Evidence"To support their victories!To the average "Grunt"A good cook was a "Hero"Just ask any soldier in any army!Its just that Cooks flags werent as impressive to the folks back home! I would be willing to bet that considering what they had to work with,The "Cooks" flags would have alot of meaning these days!Thanks to all that serve our great nation in every way!!
G.

[Smokeshow]

Yeah, I was not so excited to learn that this flag was a fake. But none the less it is a good example of a fake. I appreciate all the replies and translation help as this is great to future purchasers. After all this is what these forums are for. We help each other learn to spot real items from the fakes so that we can become more educated. I do have tons of other bringbacks from my grandfather such as a Type 99 with mum intact, wakizashi, named IJA helmet and other items. My parents have a mint Type 99 with dust cover and bipod but mum ground off. If this is the only item that is fake out of all these items then I am doing great

[Striking 9th]

Yeah, I was not so excited to learn that this flag was a fake. But none the less it is a good example of a fake. I appreciate all the replies and translation help as this is great to future purchasers. After all this is what these forums are for. We help each other learn to spot real items from the fakes so that we can become more educated. I do have tons of other bringbacks from my grandfather such as a Type 99 with mum intact, wakizashi, named IJA helmet and other items. My parents have a mint Type 99 with dust cover and bipod but mum ground off. If this is the only item that is fake out of all these items then I am doing great

I don't know. I would not get to down about it. This is part of the history of it all. My Raider friend went into great detail about how they manufactured these types of flags for sale to the rear echelon. What I would not give for one that he helped make. They got whatever material available. They used a cut down barrel for a stencil to paint the disk. Then got Korean translators attached to battalion to kanji them up. Sometimes using things they had found to add stamps. After all your grandfather carried it home with him. That should be enough for it to become a keeper.
Scott

[Smokeshow]

Yes sir it is definetly is a keeper!!! Even if it is not what I thought it was it is still a period piece and tells a story Still a cool piece that will be a great conversation starter as well as a great addition to the mancave!! I at some point would like to get a real one as well as a rising sun flag but in the mean time this is it.. If anyone is interested in the mint Type 99 mentioned above I started a new post about it! Thankyou everyone who helped me with this flag!! Your expertise is invaluable!

Link to the post:

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=419453

[Ron C.]

Here is one I have. It is not for sale, and never has been since I found out what it is. By the way, I have actually been offered more for it than any of my "real"ones. It is a part of WW2 history created to get sometimes fruit, ice cream and other things the Seabees didn't get on the land bases where they were.......which was likely stolen from the ship's stores to trade to the Seabees and "cheat" them out of "valueable war trophies" to sell to other sea-going Navy personnel.......so like an old song from my time says "who's cheatin' who"? Enjoy it........it is definitely history!!

You can see and read about mine, a rising sun one with no markings or writing, here: http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ht=Seabee+flag.

Ron

[Ron C.]

Here is one I have. It is not for sale, and never has been since I found out what it is. By the way, I have actually been offered more for it than any of my "real"ones. It is a part of WW2 history created to get sometimes fruit, ice cream and other things the Seabees didn't get on the land bases where they were.......which was likely stolen from the ship's stores to trade to the Seabees and "cheat" them out of "valueable war trophies" to sell to other sea-going Navy personnel.......so like an old song from my time says "who's cheatin' who"? Enjoy it........it is definitely history!!

You can see and read about mine, a rising sun one with no markings or writing, here: http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ht=Seabee+flag.

Ron

I took another look at the above post and I am not sure it came across as I intended. What I meant to convey was that I had bitten on a Seabee production as well, but, after I found out what it was, I really was glad to have it and I thought you were lucky to get one as well. To me the Seabee made flags are very interesting and are definitely a part of history, and are completely worthy as collector's items in and of themselves in my opinion. People collect "trench art" and walking sticks carved by German soldiers on the Russian Front. I don't think it is really a stretch to put the "Seabee flags" in a similar category. So, as I said enjoy your flag.....you have a real piece of history......not just a fake......in my opinion.

Ron

[mcmike]

Ron: I agree 100%! When I posted mine a couple years ago and was told the awful truth, I felt like an idiot. But then someone smarter than me on this site (damn, there are so many of you) pointed out that it really is a treasure. So now I have it hanging next to my real yosegaki. My faux yo and my real yo (I think).

Mike