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WW2 prayer flag question (with a twist)

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dlc693

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My father was in the Philippines in WW2. When he passed I found a Japanese flag in his possessions. I contacted the Japanese Embassy in Los Angeles to determine if it is authentic and, if so, whether they might help me repatriate it to the family of the Japanese soldier who carried it into battle. After several years, they confirmed it is authentic and that they may have located the family or at least the community of the soldier, asking again if I was sure I wanted to return it to the family. I said yes. But...the family did not respond to the Embassy, apparently not wanting the flag.

So, I will keep the flag or find another organization that might honor the flag and the soldier. First, I would like to know what is says, but without being disrespectful. Is it appropriate to take photographs and display them here, asking for help with translation? If it is appropriate, are there members of this forum who might be helpful or are there better places to start? Thank you.
 
We have a whole forum dedicated to these types of questions which is where I moved your thread. Feel free to browse the other flags and flag questions to get a feel for what they say. But to answer your question, we have people who can help with translations and posting photos of it is the way to start.

You could also try the Obon Society for help with repatriating the flag since it's hard to say how diligent the embassy was.
 
Thank you. I will post photos tomorrow.
 
You were kind enough to reposition my question in the correct forum but I can't tell if it got the flag photos I posted "live." No hits, but perhaps just no interest.
 
I can see the photos. These flags aren't my "thing", but others here have more of an interest in them. It may just take some time for them to respond. Good luck with repatriating your flag!
 
dlc693 said:
You were kind enough to reposition my question in the correct forum but I can't tell if it got the flag photos I posted "live." No hits, but perhaps just no interest.
Click to expand...
Usually @Majestic responds to these. He should be able to give you some insights.
All I can see is a patriotic slogan of some sort and a ton of signatures (names).
 
Hi dlc693
The orientation should be as below

As above, there are a bunch of patriotic slogans. Just a few of them are:
盡忠報国 = Jinchū Hōkoku - a phrase meaning "loyalty and patriotism".
必勝 = Certain victory
見敵必殺 = If you see the enemy, kill him
祝出征 = Congratulations on going off to war.
米英撃滅 = Destroy the British and the Americans

One clue as to the origin of the flag is the phrase
相模教育隊 Sagami boot camp. Sagami is an area south of Tokyo, where Yokohama is. I haven't looked at all of the writing in detail, but my guess is that it was given to a cadet from this area who had completed his basic training and then was getting sent off to the front lines.

I'm not super surprised the descendants of this soldier didn't want the flag. If it were a direct relation (son or daughter) it might have some sentimental value, but many people are not comfortable with reminders of the war around them. If the surviving relatives were even farther removed, the interest would be minimal, and it might just bring up unpleasant memories that they would prefer to not have to deal with. (Some families are of course happy to receive these relics - it really depends on the family).

There are a lot of gung-ho phrases on there, so I can understand it would be an awkward item for some families to accept.
 
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Thank you for this information. I am a writer and just finished a book about the Civil War (with many relatives on both sides). I am considering using this flag and my father's Purple Heart as springboards for a book about two young men who got swept up in something much larger than themselves in WW2 (not a good guy / bad guy story). To do that I would need to develop more of the backstory for the Japanese soldier. I will not use actual names in my story (Historical Fiction) but the closer to reality I can get, the better. Leaving aside the gung-ho stuff, is there any info that would allow me to develop a story around an individual, family or community? You have been most helpful already so if you decline to provide additional information, I understand.
 
These kinds of "good luck" flags are very common. As you probably already know, the communities or workplaces or schools would present them to the person going off to war. Very common to see a mix of patriotic statements along with the signatures of the well-wishers. For Japan, the war had begun much earlier than 1941, and was an extension of the war they had been fighting in mainland China since about 1937, or even before then. So even the term "WW2" doesn't quite register with most Japanese in the way it does with Americans. The Japanese use a variety of terms; Great Pacific War, East Asian War, being the most common. Its not too common to find specific anti US/British slogans on these flags. I mean, we see flags like this maybe once a week or so, I would say fewer than one out of ten has any acknowledgement of the US or Britain. Most just say "good luck" "give your all for your country", etc... So your flag is post 1941.
Maybe the young man (invariably a man, I would say) was someone from around Yokohama, which was a huge manufacturing and logistics point for Japan. I don't know anything about this Sagami Boot Camp (or "Sagami Training Center" depending on how you translate it), but it doesn't sound like an elite officer's school, so my assumption is the young man was just an average, working class person. Being from some kind of training ground, maybe its not so unusual to see more militant phrases (compared to a flag from a factory or a regular school).

Creating a believable back story for this person will be quite difficult without living in or knowing a lot about Japan and Japanese culture. You run the risk of setting your character amidst typical Japanese cliches. I don't know how to overcome that.
 
You could certainly draw character names from it. For example I see Yamaguchi in there. Sometimes there are trends you can spot. For example you'll see a predominant family names which could indicate the region or the families he's in or aligned with. And sometimes you may see organizations named. Majestic already mentioned the boot camp but there could be schools or town administrators mentioned in there.

Maybe you could post clearer images. Some of them are a bit fuzzy and hard to see the details. Maybe four shots, one for each corner. Then we might spot more info. I say "we" but I really mean @Majestic or @Toritoribe.
 
I think 相模教育隊 岡田中尉 is a single signature, thus, Sagami Kyōikutai is where Lieutenant Okada belonged and served. It seems that he is also the writer of the large slogan Jinchū Hōkoku on the right side of his signature. He is the main presenter, or at least one of the main presenters of the flag (that means the recipient of the flag might have nothing to do with Sagami region).

Sagami Kyōikutai is one of the blanch schools of 熊谷陸軍飛行学校 Kumagaya Army Flight School established in 神奈川県愛甲郡中津村 Nakatsu Village, Aikō District, Kanagawa Prefecture (the present 神奈川県愛甲郡愛川町 Aikawa Town, Aikō District, Kanagawa Prefecture). It's also called 熊谷陸軍飛行学校中津分教所 Kumagaya Army Flight School Nakatsu Blanch school, existed from 1941 to 1944, so the flag would be presented sometime in the period.

熊谷陸軍飛行学校 - Wikipedia

ja.wikipedia.org

陸軍相模飛行場跡地散策

平成30年2月神奈川県愛甲郡愛川町中津地区に残る相模陸軍飛行場(中津飛行場)の跡地散策。 神奈川県愛川町に残る…
senseki-kikou.net
(all in Japanese)
 
Thank you all and more photos to follow soon. Majestic identifies may biggest obstacle. I don't want my cultural ignorance to morph into cultural insensitivity. Slow going.
 
dlc693 said:
Thank you all and more photos to follow soon. Majestic identifies may biggest obstacle. I don't want my cultural ignorance to morph into cultural insensitivity. Slow going.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't worry about that. It didn't seem to hurt Michael Crichton any.
 
If you can find it in English, you may want to watch the movie Otokotachi no Yamato. This movie doesn't get into the big picture politics at all, and focuses on the lives of several of the soldiers. Although of course it's a bit glamorized and propagandist, I think it's a good introduction for what life may have been life for the common soldier of the day.

Trailer below:
 
Depending on how much it truly matters, there's a couple reference books that go into detail, they can be pricey though hence the first bit,
Imperial Japanese Good Luck Flags and One-Thousand Stitch Belts
by Michael A. Bortner
(Imperial Japanese Good Luck Flags and One-thousand Stitch Belts by Michael a Bortner - AbeBooks)

In terms of overall stuff, I'd recommend
You Can't Fight Tanks with Bayonets : Psychological Warfare Against the Japanese Army in the Southwest Pacific
by Allison B. Gilmore
So it kinda specializes in propaganda, my field of interest, but it outlines Japanese morale and thinking as truly understanding what the soldiers thought and motivated them is vital to propaganda. It'll give you a solid understanding of soldier's thoughts and concerns during 1944 to 1945.
(https://www.betterworldbooks.com/se...st the Japanese Army in the Southwest Pacific)
 
I appreciate these recommended resources. My father was wounded on Mindanao in June 1945. Like most of them, he wouldn't talk about it, so I'm trying to piece things together. He wouldn't talk about the flag at all. The Japanese Embassy asked for as many details as I could provide: He was an infantry private with the 31st Division, quite likely clearing the Sayre Highway when he was shot. I now know the basic story of the strategy and tactics being employed by both sides in Mindanao but am left wondering how he came into possession of the flag. It wasn't a "trophy" as he never displayed or mentioned it. He didn't buy it, that just wasn't his style. He was a gentle man.

Identifying the soldier who carried the flag into battle might help me answer this question. Is it likely the flag of a soldier who was killed on Mindanao? Where did the soldiers keep their flags and could this young man have been separated from his only by death or did he just leave it behind on the trail? Anyway, I'm going to go downstairs now and take some additional photos to post.
 
They were extremely sought after souvenirs, I've read some accounts that say they were more popular than small arms or swords. So there was a big market so it's possible he traded for it, or received it as payment for something, of course there is the possibility he directly got it from a dead soldier but the other options are just as likely without any documentation.
 
Can anyone recommend a translation service? My guess is that not everyone who advertises as a Japanese to English translator is competent for this task. I am aware of Dr. Michael Bortner but can't seem to locate him online.
 
Unfortunately, there is no information about the recipient of the flag. There only are signatures of presenters and common slogans. Some signatures are with their military rank, for example 川島曹長 Sergeant Major Kawashima 三好中尉 Lieutenant Miyoshi or 三木本伍長 Corporal Mikimoto. Also, some signatures such like 和田通信手 Radio Operator Wada are related to Flight School, so these officers might belong to the school I mentioned in my previous post.
 
Thank you for this reply. If there is no information about the flag recipient, how could the Japan Embassy (as they say they did) locate the family or community of the soldier? Perhaps this is a rhetorical question.
 
dlc693 said:
at least the community of the soldier
Click to expand...
This is possible since there are several officers' names, as I mentioned, and they might be able to find them in the list they have. Did you get information about the family of the recipient from them, for example the family name?
 
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