Translation of WWII Yosegaki Hinomaru

[kingsmountaincollector]

I was hoping to get a translation of the slogans present on this flag. I understand most of these may be names, but was curious what well wishes were written on this particular flag.

[ghp95134]

祈武運長久
Inori Bu'un Chōkyu.
Prayers/Wishes for Continued luck in the fortunes of war

中江清春君
Nakae Kiyoharu‐Kun
Mr. Nakae Kiyoharu

大東亜戰争必勝完遂
Daitōa Sensō Kansui Hisshō Kansui
Great East Asia War Assured Victory Accomplishment
[Assured Victory must be accomplished for the Great East Asia War]

• 完遂 kansui. Successful execution; accomplishment; completion; fulfillment; carrying through

山下秋男
眞教
Yamash¡ta Akio
Direct Teaching

There is a rather fetching note at the top left corner that I cannot fully read, by a Mr. Hasegawa who is the Kaichō of some organization.

本松會會長 [looks like Honmatsu-kai Kaichō but I'm only about 5% confident]
長谷川欽
Hasegawa Kin/Kinji/Hitoshi/Makoto [don't know which pronunciation he uses for his given name]

-- Guy

[kingsmountaincollector]

Thank you so much Guy for the translations! Very interesting about Mr. Hasegawa. Would "Great East Asia War" date this flag to 1941-1945?

[ghp95134]

...Would "Great East Asia War" date this flag to 1941-1945?

Definitely. I would have said from 1937, but English Wiki and Japanese Wiki both say 1941~1945.

"...Japan used the name Greater East Asia War (大東亜戦争, Dai Tō-A Sensō), as chosen by a cabinet decision on 10 December 1941, to refer to both the war with the Western Allies and the ongoing war in China. ..."

-- Guy

[ghp95134]

Regarding the reading of the main slogan I always write it literally:
祈武運長久
Inori Bu'un Chōkyu

However, it is written in "Kanbun" meaning it has a Chinese grammatical structure; Japanese learn in middle-school to read kanbun by mentally transposing Chinese grammar into Japanese grammar.

Chinese grammar has similar structure to English: Subject-Verb-Object [I go to the store]; whereas Japanese grammar is Subject-Object-Verb [I to the store go]. So the Japanese are almost automatically doing the conversions while reading the text.

The slogan 祈武運長久would be read as:
武運長久を祈ります
Bu'un Chōkyu wo Inorimasu

My wife [translator/interpretor] tells me that if it is read as kanbun the Chinese order remains, but the word prayer uses the Chinese-style sound:
祈武運長久
Ki Bu'un Chōkyu

Believe me, this is way beyond my pay-grade!!!!

Cheers,
-- Guy

[kingsmountaincollector]

Guy,

Thank you for the clarification and the additional info!

--Joel

[Akira Komiya]

The signature on the top left of the flag is by a 長谷川欽一, Kinnichi Hasegawa, who was the Head of the local chapter (分會長）of the Imperial Time Expired Soldier's League (帝國在郷軍人會）for a town with a name that appears to me to start with 東 (east) which I cannot read. (It cannot be 東京, Tokyo, as the organization on such higher level will be called a branch, 支部）.
Unlike voluntary veteran's associations, membership to the Time Expired Soldier's League was mandatory for all reservists and one of their important functions besides making sure that the reservists stayed in shape in case of a call up was the sending off of soldiers. There is also a signature of a 宮田新三郎 Shinzaburou Miyata, who was the head of a neighborhood association 町内会, at a certain town/village but I can't figure out what the place's name is.

[kingsmountaincollector]

Thank you for the additional information on the signatures! Very nice to get more background information on them.

[SteveM]

祈武運長久
山下秋男
眞教
Yamash¡ta Akio
Direct Teaching

-- Guy

I think the 眞教 here is another name, Masanori, and he's probably the brother of Yamashita Akio (because of the two dashes that coincidentally look like a "ditto" mark next to Yamashita Akio's name. So the flag might have been presented to Mr. Nakae by these two (presumably related) people. Maybe brothers, maybe father and son.

Guy, I would hate to cause a rift between you and Mrs. Guy, but I think your original reading of 祈武運長久 (Bu-un Chōkyū wo inoru) is the most correct one. Or, "inoru, bu-un chōkyū" which is essentially the same, as you know. Kanbun readings don't force you to use on-yomi for the kanji. But if you pick a fight with Mrs. Guy over this slightly pedantic and off-topic point, there will be little joy in the house today.

[ghp95134]

...there will be little joy in the house today. ...

Thanks Steve.

I'll keep that in mind and not mention it to her:


(^__^)

-- Guy