Commemorative Enlistment flag (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.

William Garrison, 4 May 2007

image contributed by William Garrison, 13 February 2025

Some Japanese flags of WWII had "sword" images printed/painted on them. While the meaning of the Japanese text is unknown, there is a sword printed/painted/drawn on this flag - perhaps someday someone will explain why swords were printed on similar WWII flags.
William Garrison, 13 February 2025

So can we say that this is a commemorative flag then? Also, since the attained military rank is that of an Officer (Lieutenant General to be more precise) and the sword usually symbolizes exactly that, an Officer, may we then label this as "Commemorative Officer flag"?
Esteban Rivera, 14 February 2025

The Japanese text on the flag reads "Congratulating Mr. Hiroshi Obata on his enlistment". When Mr. Hiroshi Obata was invited to join the army, someone he knew signed this flag and gave it to him as a commemorative gift. The sword has nothing to do with the officer and is probably just a design.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 13 and 14 February 2025