Sword flag of Lt. General Akito Nakamura (Japan)

eBay states the following about this flag:

It is known as the sword flag. Given to the son of Lieutenant General Akito Nakamura in 1939 upon his departure into the Japanese imperial army 14th cavalry regiment. (This regiment served in the Aleutian campaigns 1942). The small tag you see in one photo and in the full flag photo says "in honor of your entrance into the service of 14th imperial cavalry regiment, January Showa 14 " (which is 1939). To put perspective on the background, this young officer named Kiyotaka Nakamura it was given to, was the son of general Nakamura who in 1939 was head of the military bureau of the imperial ministry of war. Thus, the availability of admirals and generals in the same place. The sword on the flag commemorates the Bushido code of the Japanese officer corp. On the right side it is signed by Lieutenant General Nobutaka Shioden, who was the chief anti-Semite of imperial Japan, who had met Hitler and translated several Nazi books into Japanese. He was declared a war criminal in 1945, was jailed but not prosecuted. It is also signed by Vice-Admiral Saburo Yasumi, who was an advisor to the emperor; Vice-Admiral Yoshito Takagi, a noted naval fleet commander who commanded the Iwate, Kongo, Mikasa and Fuji during his career; Rear Admiral Jutaro Takahashi, who retired in 1942 from the imperial Japanese naval staff; and lastly Major General Teiichi Kaneko who was also on the war ministry staff.

Bill Garrison, 4 May 2007