exciting find! Japanese Regimental Flag!
 

Gentlemen,

Thought I’d share this very exciting find. Japanese regimental flags are an extreme rarity. Since these silk flags were granted by the emperor, they were considered divine gifts and were NEVER repaired, mended or restored and many were carried to the point of complete disintegration. Most of the few that did survive normal use and the elements were ceremoniously burned to prevent falling into allied hands. This example is from a Naval Reserve unit. 🙂

Very nice.
Andy

Hello Mark,

Very nice indeed! What are the dimensions of the flag? Any provenance? Cheers,

Walt

Rare item I have a standard patten meet ball flag amongst other Japanese items a lucky survivor
regards
Stephen

Thanks all! Dimensions are 40”x30”, minus the fringe, so relatively small by Western colors standards. Compiling provenance currently and corresponding with a contact in JSDF to pin down the unit. The below pic will give a good sense for flag size...

... these two images illustrate how these regimentals were considered so significant by their respective units that they were utilized until there was literally nothing left but the fringe!

Thank you for the information Mark. In Canada, Japanese WWII relics are rare. Many years ago, I acquired an Arisaka rifle with bayonet, which I still own. Looking forward to your future post regarding history/provenance! Cheers,

Walt

Japanese items are not that plentiful in the UK, I have some collar badges (somewhere) they are the only thing in over sixty years of collecting I have, I was offered a katana in the sixties in a khaki painted steel scabbard for £6.00 and it stood in the corner at work for ages, I turned it down as I was not interested in Japanese militaria.
Years later, I was chatting to a guy who did kendo and told him about this sword with markings on the tang, when I said it could have been mine for £6.00 he went a strange colour and mentioned something about signed blades.
Rob

It happens to the best of us, Rob. I'm sure we.ve all gone down the Wallies Road at some time or other!
GTB