Priest Finds Admiral Togo's Flag in Britain

[Mulboyne]

Telegraph: Japan proudly flies battleflag again
One hundred years after Admiral Heihachiro Togo defeated the Russian fleet at Tsushima, his battleflag has returned to Japan after being preserved for decades in Britain. The whereabouts of the 30ft by 20ft flag had been unknown in Japan for decades but has been tracked down by a Japanese priest from a shrine in Tokyo dedicated to Togo's memory.
...Little known to most Britons, the young Togo lived in Britain for seven years from 1871 learning seamanship from the Royal Navy...So great was his affection for Britain that he donated his 1905 battleflag to the Worcester when he attended the 1911 coronation of George V as a representative of Japan.
..."It is an extraordinarily precious find," said Mr Himuro. "Very few such battleflags remain in Japan. You can find small tears in this one because it actually flew on the seas. But I am amazed at how the British preserved this flag in perfect condition even as Japan became an enemy in World War II." Capt Jeremy Howard, who dealt with the permanent loan and has just stepped down as director of the Marine Society, said: "It was rolled up in tissue to protect it.
...Unable to learn English well enough to qualify for naval college, Togo was forced to pretend to be 14 to study on the Worcester, although already in his mid-twenties.