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**Paul G** · 05-10-2016, 12:46 PM

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**chen** · 05-11-2016, 12:09 AM

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**chen** · 05-11-2016, 12:11 AM

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**chen** · 05-11-2016, 12:14 AM

Shatung Province in China

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**Paul G** · 05-11-2016, 08:55 AM

Thanks Chen, Thats interesting. I wonder how this all fits into context? I am going to have to think about This one.

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**grimnar** · 05-20-2016, 03:02 AM

Very nice flag Paul. A great example.

Regards

Matt

**Paul G** · 05-22-2016, 11:49 AM

Thanks Matt. It wasn't mine when I posted it for comment. I have since acquired it. I am in the process of doing some research on it. Its an interesting flag with something to say. I will make a post when the research comes together.

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**GeorgeP** · 05-22-2016, 12:30 PM

It is interesting to see the "Sama" kanji instead of the "Kun" kanji ending on the name. I wonder if it is merely a more formal way to address the recipient of the flag or if it points to someone of high social standing. Looking forward to what you find out about the flag.

Tom

**Paul G** · 05-22-2016, 07:03 PM

Originally posted by GeorgeP View Post

It is interesting to see the "Sama" kanji instead of the "Kun" kanji ending on the name. I wonder if it is merely a more formal way to address the recipient of the flag or if it points to someone of high social standing. Looking forward to what you find out about the flag.

Tom

HI Tom, could you point out which kanji that is and educate me a little on its meaning and use. Thanks,

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**GHP** · 05-22-2016, 08:30 PM

Honorifics attached to names

贈門田幸夫様
Zō: Kadota Yukio-sama

Levels of politeness from lower to higher:

君 kun
さん san
様 sama
殿 dono

From wiki:

Originally posted by kun

Kun 君 is used by people of senior status addressing or referring to those of junior status, by anyone addressing or referring to male children or male teenagers, or among male friends. It can be used by males or females when addressing a male who they are emotionally attached to or have known for a long time.[citation needed]

Although kun is generally used for boys, it is not a hard rule. For example, kun can be used to name a close personal friend or family member of any gender. In business settings, young female employees are addressed as kun by older males of senior status. It can be used by male teachers addressing their female students.

'Kun' can mean different things depending on the gender. "Kun" for females is a more respectful name than calling them cute. Kun isn't only used to address females formally, it can also be used for a really close friend or family member. Calling a female 'Kun' isn't assaulting and can mean that the person is respected as well, although it is usually not. Sisters with the same name, such as 'Miku,' may be differentiated by calling one 'Miku~Chan' and the other 'Miku~San' or 'Sama,' and on some occasions 'Kun.' Chan' and 'Kun' sometimes mean similar things. Rarely, 'Kun' means "sweet and kind."

In the National Diet (Legislature), the Speaker of the House uses kun when addressing diet members and ministers. An exception was when Takako Doi was the Speaker of the lower house, where she used the title san.

Originally posted by san

San さん (sometimes pronounced han (はん) in Kansai dialect), derived from sama (see below), is the most commonplace honorific and is a title of respect typically used between equals of any age. Although the closest analog in English are the honorifics "Mr.", "Miss", "Ms.", or "Mrs.", -san is almost universally added to a person's name; “-san” can be used in formal and informal contexts and for any gender. Because it is the most common honorific, it is also the most often used to convert common nouns into proper ones, as seen below.

San may be used in combination with workplace nouns, so a bookseller might be addressed or referred to as honya-san ("bookstore" + san) and a butcher as nikuya-san ("butcher's shop" + san).

San is sometimes used with company names. For example, the offices or shop of a company called Kojima Denki might be referred to as "Kojima Denki-san" by another nearby company. This may be seen on small maps often used in phone books and business cards in Japan, where the names of surrounding companies are written using san.

Originally posted by sama

Sama 様 is a more respectful version of san for people of a higher rank than oneself, toward one's guests or customers (such as a sports venue announcer addressing members of the audience), and sometimes toward people one greatly admires. Deities such as the native Shinto kami and the Christian God, are referred to as kami-sama, meaning "God-sama". When used to refer to oneself, sama expresses extreme arrogance (or self-effacing irony), as in praising one's self to be of a higher rank, as with ore-sama (俺様, "my esteemed self").

Sama customarily follows the addressee's name on postal packages and letters and in business email.

Sama also appears in such set phrases as o-machidō sama ("thank you for waiting") or o-tsukare sama ("thank you for a good job").

With the exception of the Emperor of Japan, sama can be used to informally address the Empress and other members of the Imperial Family. The Emperor is, however, always addressed as Heika (Your Majesty). (See "Royal and official titles" below).

San can be attached to the names of animals or even inanimate objects. For example, a pet rabbit might be called usagi-san, and fish used for cooking can be referred to as sakana-san. Both uses would be considered childish (akin to "Mr. Fish" in English) and would be avoided in formal speech. Married people often refer to their spouse with san.

Online, Japanese gamers often append a numeral 3 to another player's name to denote san (e.g., Taro3 conveys Taro-san), since the number three is also pronounced san.

Originally posted by Dono

Tono (殿【との, pronounced dono (どの) when attached to a name, roughly means "lord" or "master". It does not equate noble status; rather it is a term akin to "milord" or French "monseigneur", and lies below sama in level of respect [ghp: I disagree, thinking it is above sama ... but I could also be mistaken]. This title is not commonly used in daily conversation, but it is still used in some types of written business correspondence, as well as on certificates and awards, and in written correspondence in tea ceremonies. It is/was also used to indicate that the person referred to has the same (high) rank as the referrer, yet commands respect from the speaker.

When used in conversation in present-day it is often used as a joke expressing an exaggeration of age. This is also commonly used in anime/manga; particularly by foreigners, old people, and people of low standing, especially in shonen anime/manga.

Thus endeth the lesson.

--Guy

**GHP** · 05-22-2016, 08:42 PM

Just a side note of interest [at least to me]

Originally posted by GHP

Tono (殿【との, pronounced dono (どの) when attached to a name, roughly means "lord" or "master"

Forgot to add that in this case, when addressing one's lord, TWO honorifics would be combined :

殿様
Tono-sama
[My Lord, Sire]

You often hear this in period movies/TV programs.

--Guy

**Paul G** · 05-22-2016, 11:57 PM

Thanks Guy! That's a pretty thorough explanation.

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**MikeB** · 05-24-2016, 05:55 AM

Flag translation

I enjoyed the "sama" post as well Guy. Thank you for pulling that up.

MikeB

**Paul G** · 05-24-2016, 10:22 AM

Hello, Can anyone tell me what this kanji means? Also I would like to know if the Kanji next to" Tomako" Reads Tomako in Japanese. Thank you so much.

PG-

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