GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) and the OBON Society are poised to return a rare Japanese “good luck” flag to the family of a soldier it was originally gifted to.
The Yosegaki Hinomaru flag dates back to World War II and is adorned with messages wishing luck, safety and victory to a Japanese soldier, according to the museum.
We’re told GRPM and the OBON Society worked together alongside Japanese scholars to discern the flag’s origins, leading them to the soldier’s niece in Japan.
“We are creating a space for people who fought, suffered and grieved because of the war to enter in conversation and have the opportunity for healing and reconciliation,” says an OBON Society spokesperson. “When news of our work travels around the world, we have witnessed the profound effect it can have on humanity.”
GRPM tells us the OBON Society is currently working to unite the flag with the deceased soldier’s niece.
View the museum’s collections database, which includes two more “good luck” flags.
