Silk flag, opinion please

[okw44]

Hi guys,
I would like to ask your opinion about that flag.
Many thanks,

[GHP]

為古川勲君
Tame Furukawa Isao-kun
For Mr. Furukawa Isao


Given by:
田本友吉
Tamoto Tomokichi [also pronounced as Yukichi]

I'm not certain how 為 [tame; tah-may] is pronounced when it is the lead kanji. Possibly "Su" or "Shi."

What is written is a poem originally written around 733-755:
おのこやも空しかるべき 後の卋
語りつずべき名は立てずして

Should I, a man, die in vain
With no renown -- no name
Spoken of for ten thousand ages?

As written on your flag, the writer used a lot of hiragana in place of kanji ... possibly because the old readings of kanji would not have been understood by the bearer of the flag. And he changed the original 萬代尒 "your 10,000 generations" to 後の卋 "your later generations [using different kanji]. Note that 卋 is an alternative way of writting 世; both mean "age/world" as in the ages of the world, generations, etc.

Original:

士也母　空應有　萬代尒
語續可　名者不 立之而

Explanatory note:
士（をのこ）やも　空（むな）しかるべき　萬代（よろづよ）に 語り續（つ）ぐべき　名は立てずして

Onoko yamo munashikarubeki yorutzuyo ni
katatari tsugukubeki na wa tatezush!te

Should I, a man, die in vain
With no renown -- no name
Spoken of for ten thousand ages?

Written by Yama-no-Ue no Okura　Man'yōshū Volume 6-978

Full text of the Man'yōshū translated.

The correct orientation of the flag is shown below.


--Guy

[okw44]

Wow,
Thanks a million.
So the flag is absolutelly ww2 period?
Many thanks again