Need help to translate japanese

[tseuh]

Hi everyone,
I have a traditional flag from a japanese soldier (I believe it's called a "hinomaru" but I'm not sure at all), and I think it was given to soldiers to wish them good luck during the battles.
I would really be happy to discover what is exactly written on this flag.
I believe it must have been very important for this soldier.
Who could help me ?
Thanks.
Tim.

 

[Grandpa Frank]

Wow, it's in good shape!

Funny, I have one almost identical to yours. Mine was given to me as a going home present by my Japanese friends in the early 70's(not WWII) and it had all their names writen on it so I would not forget them. Hope someone tells us what is on your's!

Uncle Frank

 

[undrentide]

Hi everyone,
I have a traditional flag from a japanese soldier (I believe it's called a "hinomaru" but I'm not sure at all), and I think it was given to soldiers to wish them good luck during the battles.
I would really be happy to discover what is exactly written on this flag.
I believe it must have been very important for this soldier.
Who could help me ?
Thanks.
Tim.

What Frank explained is "yosegaki", even today when a person is leaving the place for another place (far away), sometimes we write short messages and name on a nice paper or sometimes on a flag - not the national flag but school/club school in case they are at school, or uniform or t-shirt as a memento and give it to the person leaving.

I don't know where this custom came from but the flag given to the soldiers during the war must have similar purpose.

The flag in your photo was given to a person whose family name was 窶ｰPﾋ?､ Usui. He must have been a university student, as it also says 窶伉⇒?ｮ窶彡窶佚･ﾅ?wﾂ 窶佚戸?ｧ窶ｰﾃｯﾆ塚?鍛ﾆ暖窶｢窶 (Waseda University, Athletic Dept. Yacht Club) (on the right) along of many names of his fellow members of the club (lower half of the flag) as well as the name of the President of the university (on the far left).
The word written at the top of the flag says ﾂ尽窶吮?ｰ窶｢ﾃｱﾂ坂? - I don't know the exact meaning of this word, but it seems to be a phrase which originally came from China, and the kanji (Chinese characters) say "(Be) utmost loyal and repay the obligations to the country". It must be one of the common slogans used at that time.

I cannot help wondering what has become of Mr.Usui, what feeling he had when he get this flag...