Good Luck Flag also known as hinomaru yosegaki (日の丸寄せ書き) in Japan. The Japanese call their country's flag hinomaru. A Good Luck Flag is a Japanese traditional flag that was given to a soldier and was tradition for friends and family to sign it with wishes of good fortune.[1]
In the Japanese language, hi- means "sun," no- means "is," and -maru means "round." Translated literally this means, "The sun is round." This describes the commonly seen solid white flag with large, round, red center disc. When the hinomaru has been signed with Japanese characters or ideograms on and around the red center, this is called hinomaru yosegaki. Broken into its component parts, yose- means "sideways, and -gaki means "to write." In other words, this phrase means, "To write sideways around the red sun." This is exactly what is described when one looks at a good luck flag; a white flag with a red sun near the center of the field that has sideways writing going around it.
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The hinomaru yosegaki was traditionally presented to a man prior to his induction into the Japanese armed forces or before being sent off to fight. Generally, relatives, neighbors and/or co-workers of the person receiving the flag would write their names, good luck messages, exultations, etc. upon the field of the flag to remind the soldier, sailor or airman to do well in battle. The writing usually flowed out sideways in a rayed pattern away from the red sun. Characters may be seen going in many directions, however. Some flags have so many signatures and slogans added to them that the characters were placed wherever the well-wisher could find the room! When studying good luck flags, the observer may commonly see larger, dark characters placed horizontally across the top of the flag and vertically down the right or left hand side.
Normally, some kind of exultation such as Buun Chokyu is written across the top within the white field. Loosely translated into English, Buun Chokyu means "May your military fortunes be long lasting." Dark, medium sized characters may normally be seen that run vertically down the right or left hand margin of the flag. These usually occur in one, two or three columns and are generally the names of the man receiving the flag and the name of the individual or organization presenting the gift to him. While it may be said that the ideograms are written, they are in fact, placed upon the material using a fude or brush and ink. In addition, while it was normally the custom to only sign around the red center of the flag, some examples may be found with characters written upon the red center as well.
When the custom of writing on flags began is up for debate. Some sources indicate that signed flags became part of the military man's off-to-war gear, along with a senninbari during the First Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895.) Any good luck flags that pre-date the Manchurian Incident (1931) should be considered rare. It is generally agreed that most hinomaru yosegaki seen today come from just before or during the period of the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945.)
For the military man stationed far away from home and loved ones, the hinomaru yosegaki offered communal hopes and prayers to the owner every time the flag was unfolded. It was believed that the flag with its many signatures and slogans of good luck, would provide a combined force or power to see its owner through tough times. Furthermore, it reminded him in a material way to do his duty. The performance of that duty meant that the warrior was not expected to return home from battle. Great honor was brought upon the family of those whose sons, husbands, brothers and fathers died in the service of country and Emperor. The belief of self-sacrifice was a central one within Japanese culture and was much exalted during World War II. Culturally, the Japanese believed that in doing one's duty, the soldier, sailor or airman must offer up his life freely to the Emperor just as the cherry blossoms fall freely from the tree at the height of their beauty. As part of the samurai or bushido code (Way of the Warrior), this worldview was brought forward into twentieth century Japan from the old warring days of feudal Japan.
In Sid Phillips's book, You'll Be Sor-ree, he describes the role of Japanese flags played in the Pacific War, "Every Jap seemed to have a personal silk flag with Jap writing all over it and a large meatball in the center."[2] There are numerous books describing these souvenirs taken home by Marines and Army Infantry. Another example is Eugene Sledge's book With the Old Breed, "The men gloated over, compared, and often swapped their prizes. It was a brutal, ghastly ritual the likes of which have occurred since ancient times on battlefields where antagonists have possessed a profound mutual hatred." [3] In a 2008 article of the Monroe News, a World War II veteran had a Japanese flag he brought from fighting in the Pacific, "You didn't have time to search," he said. "We were in a lot of battles." He said he didn't search every Japanese soldier he shot. Mr. Buckingham, a staff sergeant in the Army, believes he found it while fighting on the island of Mindanau in the Philippines. "I don't know the exact place as we were in five different engagements," the Monroe resident and former Village of Carleton president said. "I think it was back in the mountains. I don't think I got it off a body." He said you didn't bring large souvenirs home from the war, like a sabre, for fear that someone would steal them before they even got on ship. A flag could be concealed much easier in your suitcase.[4]
According to the National World War II Museum, the preservation guide has a list of recommendations for storing and preserving synthetic materials such as Japanese flags (Hinomaru Yosegaki). Store artifacts in climate-controlled areas because it can increase damage from aging. Never store the artifact or artifacts in attics or basements. Also keep the artifacts away from bright light such as sunlight and florescent lights which have large amounts of UV rays. If displaying a flag or any textile artifacts, make certain that is supported by a backing. Never let it hang by its own weight. If storing in a box, make sure the artifact is flat with no creases. Do not store artifact in sealed plastic bags, however use muslin bags. Human beings are a hazard to these artifacts as well. Our hands contain oils, sweat, and make-up. These increase damage to the artifact. Wear clean cotton or nylon gloves when handling heirloom textiles.[5]
Imperial Japanese Good Luck Flags and One-Thousand Stitch Belts by Dr Michael A.Bortner, 2008, Schiffer Military Books, ISBN 978-0-7643-2927-2 [1]
