Recruitment flag from Tokyo Azabu Roppongi

[Staldion]

Hello dear fellows,

Today I would like to show this flag to you, I bought it as an IJA recruitement flag from Tokyo city Azabu & Roppongi neighborhood. Where a lot of IJA soldiers were in garisson. Thanks to them the neighborhood started to be a nightlife district. The area was severly destroyed during the raids against the city. Heavily rebuilded post war to host some of the US occupation troops, thanks to them, a lot of bars and clubs of all kind re opened, making the place famous for it's nightlife again until today.

The flag bears the date of 10th April 1943 and the name of the neighborhood (麻布六本木). I would be glad if someone could land a hand to confirm the seller traduction and maybe some clues about the event?
I never seen such flag before, coming from an interesting place of Tokyo, that's why I added it to my collection. If anyone own another japanese recruitment flag please feel free to share it with us here. I think it would be nice to see other exemples from various places in Japan.

Have a nice day,
Mathieu.

[Nick Komiya]

Frankly, I'm not sure what to think of this flag. The first thing that struck me was the post war style writing orientation of left to right, instead of right to left as was standard for the time. Next I cannot verify that such (龍土岡）an address existed within Azabu Roppongi and finally a memoir written by a soldier inducted into the 5th Company of the 5th Imperial Guards Regiment says he was inducted at Azabu on 14th April, 1943, which is 4 days after the date on the flag, so I could not match the date up either. ”The East 6 unit" on the bottom refers to the 3rd Imperial Guards Infantry Regiment Replacement Unit.
I also find it puzzling that even the induction date is on the flag. Why make a flag that can be used only on that day? The only theory I could come up with was that perhaps it was for a group photo to be taken on that day and was prepared by the photographer.　　
I am not saying it is fake, all I'm saying is that it raises a lot more questions than it should. No response to a black light?

[Staldion]

Your help will always be appreciated, even if it turns out to be a fake or anything I would like to know rather than staying in a uncomfortable ignorance.

The flag is quite large, larger than a hinomaru yosegaki for example. That's why I thought it may be an official flag. I noticed the writing orientation, I was surprised but didn't sounds like a red flag. About the date, do you think the induction of all the soldiers of the regiment took place the same day? Like 3rd Imperial Guards the 10th, 5th Imp. Guards the 14th? Few days later.

I am effraid I have no suitable answer about why a one day flag! Maybe to announce/promote/remind the starting date of induction opening? But with all the going to war ceremony such date would have been hard to forget I believe. Commemoration?

Yes, more questions than answers! I don't have black light right now but will test it tomorrow and let you know. Thank very much again for landing a hand.

[GHP]

I am currently in the Azabu Roppongi area and I recall seeing something with "Dragon Ground" written -- but that might have been a building name. I'll ask around. 'm away to Hokkaido tomorrow and will be back to Roppongi in 10 days.

--Guy

[GHP]

Well, in Nishi Azabu I found a building called "Ryudokan" --but the sig was in romaji, not kanji. I'll keep my eyes open some more.

--Guy

[Staldion]

Hi Guy, many thanks for your help. I understand the area was burned to the ground, I don't even know if they kept the main streets etc during the reconstruction.

I found some details about the 3rd imperial guard régiment (on wiki): "The 2nd Guards Brigade, which contained 3rd and 4th Guards Regiments, also went to China. In 1940, it went to Shanghai before being posted to Hainan Island. In June 1941, the 5th Guards Infantry Regiment joined the 2nd Guards Brigade becoming the Imperial Guard Division again. It later saw action in the Battles of Malaya and Singapore with Tomoyuki Yama****a's 25th Army."

After this it went back to Japan. Unfortunatly I can't find the date.

"In May 1943, all designated Imperial Guard units were renamed again. The Mixed Guards Brigade in Tokyo became the 1st Guards Division (which now consisted of the 1st, 2nd, 6th, and 7th Guard Regiments) and the Imperial Guard Division became the 2nd Guards Division."

But another article stated it was renumbered in June 1943. When googling in kanjis I found pictures of Imp. Guard headquarters in Roppongi but no more clue or evidence about the flag.

Could you tell me the meaning of the third line of the flag please? I see the two first kanjis for Imperial Guard (Konoe Shidan) as well as number 5 but can't make out the sentence.

[Nick Komiya]

The 3rd line says 5th Imperial Guards Infantry Regiment, which is why I quoted the memoir. Also looking up the 3rd Imperial Guards history is not really relevant as the flag was not for the that regiment but for the replacement unit.

[Staldion]

Thanks again for your answer. I know it's not very relevant but that's the best I found this morning. I thought it could confirm the time frame with imperial guard coming back to Japan and need for new recruits after overseas campaign. Didn't realized it was redundant after your quotation of the memoir! I should post again after checking the flag under black light.

[Staldion]

Hello Nick, hello Guy,

Well, bad news! The flag have been black light tested by myself yesterday, the white thread all around the flag appears to be glowing. (The thin one, on the right of the golden corner in the upper part, visible on pic 2.) Could it still be a commemoration flag for imperial guard vet? To me it sounds like a foolish hope now.

I think I will sell it for a post war reproduction / fantasy item. In hand you see it have been aged / stained, IMO to fool a baka gaijin (like me)! Nick spotted it without any tool which is pretty amaizing to me. I should pay more attention to the writing orientation in the future! Thanks for your good job and sorry Guy to made you asking around for this fraudulous item.

[Nick Komiya]

If the white cotton of the flag body didn't glow (that would have been fatal), but only the thread, the flag might still have a chance, so if I were you, I would still hang on to it. I find it a bit too elaborate to be fake.
Some good news is that I looked up the building Guy found to see if there was any mention of the origin of the name. I found none, but when I checked the neighbourhood on the map, this building is standing in front of a campus grounds and close to where a wing of the new National Art Gallery is currently standing. Well, one wing of the gallery was the original building in which the 5th Regiment used to be housed. So I changed the search to a township (Ryudo Cho) instead of a hill (Ryudo Oka, Dragon Ground Hill) and hit pay dirt. That area was known as Ryudo-cho until 1967, which is now part of Roppongi 7 Chome. You'll surely be amused to hear that here also stood in 1900, Japan's very first French Restaurant, called Ryudo-ken. It took some work, but the address now looks quite plausible. This may have been a meetup flag used at the station and to lead the group to the regiment's grounds. Still some questions to be answered, but chances have improved a bit.

[Staldion]

Wow, this flag is definitly an emotional elevator, keep going up and down theese days. The main body don't glow, nor the heavy ropes. I can't tell for the corners stiches because the golden material reflect much of anything.

Very interesting stories about Roppongi, will be on my "to do list" when traveling to Japan. Thank you for your further researchs and to Guy for the lead or should I say the trail of this dragon! The National Art Gallery architecture is almost futurist, I wonder what is left of the 5th building. When looking for info about the regiment I thought it may have been where is the US heliport which is next to the museum. The "french connection" is quite funny indeed, now France have a piece of Ryudo-Cho too!

Edit: Nogizaka station is close to the actual museum so your supposition make sense, I don't have better idea. Just checked Nogizaka is only underground station which was opened in the 70's. Roppongi's station would be a better call.

I appreciate your additional time and effort spent on this flag. Mathieu.

[GHP]

Wow--that is great news.... and great research on Nick's behalf. In addition to the New National Art Museum -- jist across from the Ryudokan and on the museum campus is a building named something like "National Institute for Graduate International Relations." I wonder why that is on the campus? The entire area is peppered with smaller embassies. The French embassy is close to the New Sanno Hotel which is only a 15 or 20 minute walk from the Stars & Stripes base.

And if you were not aware, Nogizaka (Nogi Slope) is named for Admiral Nogi whose shrine and museum is nearby.

Cheers from Sapporo,
--Guy

[GHP]

Found it. Wonder if it shares the former HQ property?

The Graduate Research Institute for Policy Studies (政策研究大学院大学 Seisaku Kenkyū Daigakuin Daigaku?), or GRIPS, is a Japanese national university in Minato, Tokyo founded in 1997. It is focused on policy studies and research on a diverse range of social disciplines, from local governance to development economics. It also offers programs in security and international affairs, international development studies, and science and technology policies.

Its curriculum certainly seems oriented to government -- perhaps even up-and-coming JSDF service members???

Just thinking out loud.

--Guy

[Staldion]

Hi Guy, thank you for your interest!

I have also read about a former guard building used by Tokyo university student so I believe this is the one. I didn't know about Admiral Nogi museum, not speaking about him having is own temple it's amaizing. Did other Admirals or Generals have this privilege? Like Admiral Yamamoto?

Enjoy your trip mate!


Oops, I almost forgot the flag here. It must have been on display in a smokers' room for a long time because there are some thumb tack holes in the upper part of the flag. There are 5 of them from on corner to another so it was displayed whithout much care. You can see the trace of one of them just on the right of the golden corner. The flag is much cleaner under the former thumb stack but it's more obvious in hand than on the picture.

[Stu W]

Hi folks,

Guy has asked that I post this photo (Ryudo-cho Art Museum Road) for him. I believe he'll comment further when he gets a chance.

Regards,
Stu