World War II Imperial Japanese flag signed by political, military and naval war criminals. This fine silk Imperial Japanese flag is signed in ink by 21 of the "Class A" defendants in the International Military Tribunal for the Far East (IMTFE), also known as the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal. Flag: 20"H x 36"W; Frame: 39"H x 48.5"W. Convened on April 29, 1946, the Tribunal was to try the leaders of the Empire of Japan for war crimes. Those charged with "Class A" crimes were those who participated in a "joint conspiracy to start and wage war" and were those in the highest decision-making positions of the government, army and navy. The defendants signing the flag were: Ambassador Toshio Shiratori; Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal Marquis Koichi Kido; General Heitaro Kimura; War Minister Baron Sadao Araki; Director of General Affairs for Manchukuo Naoki Hoshino; Minister of Finance Okinori Kaya; Prime Minister Baron Kiichiro Hiranuma; Navy Minister Admiral Shigetaro Shimada; Foreign Minister Shigenori Togo (2); War Minister Field Marshal Shunroku Hata (2); Prime Minister General Kuniaki Koiso; General Kenji Doihara; Prime Minister Baron Koki Hirota; Colonel Kingoro Hashimoto; Ambassador Hiroshi Oshima; War Minister Field Marshal Shunroku Hata; General Jiro Minami; Admiral Naomasa Sakonju. General Seishiro Itagaki; General Kenryo Sato; Admiral Takasumi Oka; and, General Yoshijiro Umezu. The flag in undated, but undoubtedly dates to 1946 - 1948. PROVENANCE: From the Collection of Sam Wyly, Dallas, Texas (acquired in 2002). NOTE: The names are signed in Japanese with English translations. Five of those signing the flag, Kimura, Hirota, Itagaki, Sakonju, and Doihara, were convicted and executed by hanging in 1948. Two defendants signed the flag twice, Shigenori Togo and Shunroku Hata.