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JWL-0010, WWII Japanese flag for the "Greater Japan Defence Women's Association"

This item is listed for historical interest only. It is not for sale.

This is a WWII Japanese flag for the "Greater Japan Defence Women's Association." This flag is in excellent condition with just some minor flaking to the gold foil corners and minor damage to some of the fringe. This flag is in remarkable condition especially considering that the association ended in 1942 and transitioned to a new organization and flag. Size is approximately 30" by 28" with the fringe included. There is some minor staining to one side of the flag which could possibly be removed. This association saw participation by married women in Greater Japan Women's Association, which succeeded the Greater Japan National Defense Women's Association, was mandatory. The militarists' government expected Japanese women to fulfill traditional women's roles, unlike the Allies, who were quick to adopt women into defense industries. The Japanese did not recruit women for war work until late 1943, and they did not enter war production in force until 1944. Much of this work was decentralized, partly to confound bombings on a central factory, but also to foster support for women's traditional roles as home workers. Besides raising children and managing the home, they could do defense work as unskilled labor. The Association grew out of the Osaka National Defense Women's Association, which was formed in 1932 to give send offs to troops to Manchuria, and to welcome them on their return. Its slogan was "National Defense Starts in the Kitchen," featuring a woman wearing a cook's apron, with a cord tying up the sleeves. Under the guidance of the military, the Great Japan National Defense Women's Association grew in size thanks to activities carried out mainly by housewives and working women, such as raising money for national defense, recycling discarded goods, and collecting other donations. On February 2, 1942, the Patriotic Women's Association, the Great Japan National Defense Women's Association, the Great Japan Federated Women's Association, and other smaller groups were all merged into the Great Japan Women's Association. The merged group then joined the Taisei Yokusankai (Imperial Rule Assistance Association) in May of the same year when all political parties were merged into the militarists' party. Every adult woman in Japan, excepting the under twenty and unmarried, was forced to join, and the membership rolls reached 19 million in just one year. Even so, the executives working at the headquarters secretariat were all men. In 1943, the Great Japan Women's Association passed a resolution to energize all the women for the war effort enunciated four main principles for to this end: lift the morale of soldiers on the battlefield, adopt frugal lifestyles to conserve resources and win the war, raise production levels, and giving other kinds of support to the military.