translating a good luck flag please

looking for someone to translate the names and slogans on this flag for record in our museum. The flag will be part of a display with other artifacts honoring the Japanese soldiers who sacrificed themselves honorably for their country. we want to show those who visit that regardless of cultural differences...both sides were just regular people, and not the raciest stereo types that each country's government propaganda portrayed . photo can be seen here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/153117800@N04/?

help would be greatly appreciated

Hi littorio,

That's a nice policy you have for your museum. But have you considered returning the flag to its rightful owner? By doing so, I'm sure the owner or go-betweens can help you translate the flag and support your museum at the same time.

You can contact the Japanese Ministry or non-profit organizations like Obon Society for more details.
http://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/
http://obonsociety.org/
http://obonsociety.org/why-it-is-important/

As for the content of the flag in your photo (which is upside down), most of them are names of friends and family of the soldier the flag was given to. The short messages are typical war slogans, and one of them encourage the holder to fight in the spirit of suicide attack.

Peace.

thank you deeply Uco for the information. We are considering the possibility of finding the family of the flag and are aware of the organization that will help us do so. once we have the translations down we plan on making a copy for display ,if we do find the family. We want as much information as we can record from this artifact so we can be sure to tell a more personal story. We feel that to connect with the past, items such as this make history become a real human experience, instead of just an old photo and a general story that most do not feel emotionally. This flag when held by the staff , transfers instant emotions from the past, a connection, wonder of what happened when a real person carried this into battle. The persons legacy is real when one holds this piece, he becomes human with loved ones like everyone else including the enemy. Any detail on the inscriptions and how they translate will be cherished gratefully.

your name does not really give out a message of peace, does it...
(it is one of the symbols of Italian fascism)

You could simply send the image of the flag to the ministry/group who helps in returning the flag to the family. They can best decipher the names, in case there are specific individuals who are looking for any clues, and might know which military units the names might belong to, and I am sure that they can help you with other names/phrases on the flag too. The writing is, as Uco said, mostly individuals' names.

Ummmmm ok random Italian anonymous comment.....Littorio is actually my last name , i wish i could say sorry if it offends you...but i actually dont care or feel sorry lol.

Have you ever considered the process that you (or someone) got that flag ?

@Ken this is an object in a museum. The OP has said about returning it and having a copy in the museum. I dont see the point in being unpleasant about it.

there is no right to keep the copy, if it was taken from the dead Japanese.
return it as soon as possible, with no copy making.

probably, you, foreigners don't have a concept, ‰…”O.
everything has its soul. that flag is not yours.
please keep the dead person in dead. there is no reason to display it to public.