WWII Japanese Flag

This flag is a rare surviving example of a collaborationist ceremonial tribute presented by Chinese collaborators in Fenyang County to the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Written in October 1940, it adopts the form of a hinomaru yosegaki (“good luck flag”) a Japanese military tradition in which comrades inscribe messages around a central red sun. 

At the center of the red sun is the phrase 除暴安良 (“Eliminate violence, pacify the good”) Above the circle, 皇軍萬歲 (“Long live the Imperial Army”) and 長期建設 (“Lasting development”) On the right side of the flag, a formal dedication reads: 公頌 山田大隊長 德政, meaning “Respectfully offered to Battalion Commander Yamada for his virtuous governance.” The left side of the flag identifies the donors as 汾陽縣治安委員會全體員, or “All members of the Fenyang County Public Security Committee,” and dates the gift as 中華民國二十九年十月吉日, “An auspicious day in October, Year 29 of the Republic of China.”

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