Item #W4205
White silk with the red sun insignia silk screened in the centre, multiple well wishing signed inscriptions in handwritten black ink throughout, reinforced stitching along the left and right sides, triangular dark brown leather patches sewn in place in the upper and lower corners at the hoist, each patch with a single braided white cord tie fed through a hole in the centre and tied in a knot, 670 mm x 815 mm, a large hole to the right of the sun with other smaller holes scattered throughout, tattered edges, overall soiling, battle worn.
Footnote: Many Japanese soldiers carried flags adorned with poems, words of encouragement, and patriotic phrases from family and peers. Some were even decorated with artwork. They were often tied to a bayonet or mounted on a rifle. American soldiers brought these home from Japan and often refer to them as "meatball" flags, as did the other Allied forces, due to the Japanese hinomaru or sun disk's prominence on aircraft, vehicles and flags.