Absolute_Doggo
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- 8 Jun 2026
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Help Help with flag translation!
- Thread starter Absolute_Doggo
- Start date
- 12 Oct 2013
- 4,071
- 5,023
Hello Doggo,
The four large characters positioned at each "corner" of the red disc are 武運長久 ("Everlasting military fortune", or, basically, "good luck"). The rest are the names of well-wishers who have signed the flag. There are a lot of people from the Okumura family on that flag, so maybe the intended recipient was someone from that family. Other families who feature prominently are the Yoshida family, the Ikuta family, the Tamaki family, the Kani family etc.. Kani seems to be a somewhat rare name, and is based mostly in Gifu prefecture. So one might assume the flag comes from somewhere in Gifu, but the other names are not necessarily linked directly with Gifu, so just take it as a possible avenue of inquiry. I can't find any specific person to whom the flag was dedicated, which is something of a disappointment. As it is, it is just a flag full of names. I presume it is from the war period, but there is nothing specific about it that would identify it as a wartime souvenir. So at this point I would say that yes it is likely a "good luck" flag from the war era, but we have no clue as to the recipient, the location, or a specific date.
The four large characters positioned at each "corner" of the red disc are 武運長久 ("Everlasting military fortune", or, basically, "good luck"). The rest are the names of well-wishers who have signed the flag. There are a lot of people from the Okumura family on that flag, so maybe the intended recipient was someone from that family. Other families who feature prominently are the Yoshida family, the Ikuta family, the Tamaki family, the Kani family etc.. Kani seems to be a somewhat rare name, and is based mostly in Gifu prefecture. So one might assume the flag comes from somewhere in Gifu, but the other names are not necessarily linked directly with Gifu, so just take it as a possible avenue of inquiry. I can't find any specific person to whom the flag was dedicated, which is something of a disappointment. As it is, it is just a flag full of names. I presume it is from the war period, but there is nothing specific about it that would identify it as a wartime souvenir. So at this point I would say that yes it is likely a "good luck" flag from the war era, but we have no clue as to the recipient, the location, or a specific date.
Absolute_Doggo
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- 8 Jun 2026
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That's an unbelievable help! I seriously appreciate that! a previous place I posted it somebody said there was a mention of a bank? Perhaps a colleague? Is there anything that matches that? Or any other potential phrases of interest? Is there a possibility of obtaining a more comprehensive translation?
I apologize if I'm coming off as overbearing and begging, I'm simply incredibly excited to have this artifact as a student of history, and I want to be able to treat it with the proper reverence and respect that it deserves, the sheer amount of names tells me this individual must have been very well respected and beloved.
Absolute_Doggo
Registered
- 8 Jun 2026
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- Thread starter
- #5
Also super useful! I appreciate it!
- 12 Oct 2013
- 4,071
- 5,023
There is no mention of a bank. There are no other phrases. Just names. Getting all the names translated would be maybe $50 (that's what I would charge), but some names have multiple possible pronunciations, and one can never be sure of the correct pronunciation unless you actually knew the person. Kind of like how "Stephen" can be pronounced either Steven or Stefan. You don't really know unless you ask the person, or his family. So what I'm trying to say is that it probably isn't worth it to get a bunch of names translated, with a high probability of some of those translations being incorrect due to the name having multiple valid pronunciations.
Last edited:
Konnichiwa Absolute_Doggo-san!
Everything necessary has already been stated by Majestic-san. All I should add is that the name "奥村 : Okumura" is also based mostly in Gifu Prefecture.
Although unrelated to banking, the word "主計 : account" is written on the flag as a similar term.
However, this phrase is written as a personal name "玉野 主計 : Tamano Kazue"and has absolutely no relation to accounting as a business practice.
In ancient times, "主計" referred to the National Budget Bureau, and today it refers to accounting work within the government, corporations, and other organizations.
When parents give their children this name, they often hope that they will be trustworthy and intelligent.
NANGI
Everything necessary has already been stated by Majestic-san. All I should add is that the name "奥村 : Okumura" is also based mostly in Gifu Prefecture.
Although unrelated to banking, the word "主計 : account" is written on the flag as a similar term.
However, this phrase is written as a personal name "玉野 主計 : Tamano Kazue"and has absolutely no relation to accounting as a business practice.
In ancient times, "主計" referred to the National Budget Bureau, and today it refers to accounting work within the government, corporations, and other organizations.
When parents give their children this name, they often hope that they will be trustworthy and intelligent.
NANGI
