Size: 32 x 28 inches

This Japanese Good Luck Flag, known as yosegaki hinomaru (寄せ書き日の丸) is a bring back of a U.S. veteran who served in the Pacific Theater. The fabric is unsigned and in very nice condition given its age. It does have a ‘salty’ look with moderate dirt.

The Good Luck Flag, known as yosegaki hinomaru (寄せ書き日の丸) in the Japanese language, was a traditional gift for Japanese servicemen deployed during the military campaigns of the Empire of Japan, though most notably during World War II. The flag given to a soldier was a national flag signed by friends and family, often with short messages wishing the soldier victory, safety, and good luck.

The Japanese call their country's flag hinomaru, which translates literally to "sun's circle", referencing the red circle on a white field. When the hinomaru was signed, the Japanese characters were usually written vertically, and radiated outward from the edge of the red circle. This practice is referenced in the second term, yosegaki, meaning "collection of writing". The phrase hinomaru-yosegaki can be interpreted as "Collection of writing around the red sun", describing the appearance of the signed flag.