Original Japanese WWII Pilot Bail Out Float Flag - 30" x 40"

Original Item: Only one available. This is a rare World War II Japanese pilot’s bail-out survival “meatball” float flag. The flag is constructed of silk with a stitched and stuffed buoyant border to assist in the flotation of the flag on the water for a Japanese pilot who crashed in the sea.

The flag is in fair condition and is without the telescoping bamboo pole. It looks to be made of the usual rayon cloth, with the red "sun" dyed in the middle. These have become increasingly difficult to find and only example we have had in several years. Flag measures approximately 30” by 40”. This example is in very good condition, with only a few small tears and holes, though it definitely does show staining to the material, possibly from actual use at sea. The buoyant material in the hemmed edge has also degraded.

The Japanese call their country's flag hinomaru (日の丸), which translates literally to "sun-round", referencing the red circle on a white field. The design, called the "Meat ball" by U.S. forces, is the standard one used on Good Luck Flags, Flotation flags, and remains the official flag of Japan to this day.