WWII Era Japanese Flag: Real or Fake??

Hello, I recently found this really cool glad that appears to date back to WWII. I really want to buy this but I want to make sure it isn't a fake first, cause all of my friends would think I was a dope if I hung a fake flag on the wall. The older gentleman said he bought the flat at auction and seems to be legit, but id like some expert knowledge before I make the step to purchase it. What do you guys think? Is it legit?

It's definitely not a typical good luck flag for carrying into battle etc. There are no names on it. Somebody put a date (1943) on the far left side which is odd. And almost the whole thing is written in hiragana which is very odd indeed. I can only read bits and pieces like "your life for the sake of the country" and "strength." But given how haphazardly it's written including the main element (大日本ばんざい) I would guess maybe it came from the postwar cottage industry where they created these "fakes" to sell. But it does look quite old and might look interesting on a wall. Anyway hold off until you get other opinions.

Agree with the above. A post-war creation, possibly made as a "war souvenir" for a serviceman. Maybe not written by a Japanese person.

Go to www.worldmilitariaforum.com -- you'll need to register, but a good place to get much info from many who are experts in obscure militaria.


Edit: please don't write in capital letters only!