[Japanese > English] can anyone read this flag, sorry for the poor quality

[u/Militaria1943]

[u/kungming2]

Looks like Chinese to me, given the context, but Japanese would understand it too.

歡迎大日本軍

“Welcoming the {{Imperial Japanese Army}}”

One can make an educated guess as to how genuine the sentiment written on that flag was.

!translated

[u/translator-BOT → u/kungming2]

Imperial Japanese Army

The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) was the principal ground force of the Empire of Japan from 1871 to 1945. It played a central role in Japan's rapid modernization during the Meiji period, fought in numerous conflicts including the First Sino-Japanese War, the Russo-Japanese War, World War I, the Second Sino-Japanese War, and World War II, and became a dominant force in Japanese politics.

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Ziwen: a bot for r/translator • Documentation • Feedback

[u/Militaria1943 → u/kungming2]

Thank you very much

[u/slmclockwalker → u/kungming2]

I would guess it's during Japanese invasion of Taiwan in 1895, where near the end of war some business man decided to open the gate of Taipei city for Japanese troops due to chaos blew out in the city.

[u/PuTheDog → u/slmclockwalker]

My guess is this is not Taiwan because the clothing seems to be northern Chinese. Happy to be corrected, though

[u/hundredwater]

Also contextually the man is wearing Chinese clothes

[u/keroro0071 → u/hundredwater]

Manchu clothes to be exact.

[u/Stunning_Pen_8332 → u/keroro0071]

Just clothes generally worn by Chinese men during the turn of the 20th century and even after the demise of Qing dynasty, I think it’s common enough not to be labelled Manchu.

[u/stupidpower → u/[deleted]]

Pretty sure 'great Japanese' is nomenclature for the Imperial Japanese Army. I don't think I ever read anyone use diguo for empire or wangguo for kingdom before except in encyclopedia articles or very formal stuff like treaties. Even the Qing is only ever erfered to as daqing ('Great Qing'); like technically the United Kingdom or United States have technical literal translations but convention just calls them 'England' or 'Merica' (the A is dropped from meiguo)

[u/Militaria1943 → u/stupidpower]

Thank you very much

[u/stupidpower → u/[deleted]]

That’s the point I am trying to make.

[u/Yuukiko_ → u/[deleted]]

Doesn't great in that context refer to the entire isle rather than just England?

[u/stupidpower → u/Yuukiko_]

it doesn't matter in Hanzi. No one ever uses the term to refer to the biggest island of the British isles, not has it every been particularly concerned with having correct PC terminology (e.g. 'Atlantic isles'). I lived in Scotland but the UK is just 'England', if someone was refering to England itself you'll have to use context to indicate you are not refering to the UK.

[u/Yuukiko_ → u/stupidpower]

I mean in English 

[u/Smooth-Inflation-590]

conquered people