Big National Flag Collection

Japanese, kameda-lab.org 2006/10/16

As it is an international era, my friends sometimes go abroad these days and they ask me "hey, what do you want as a souvenior for you?" ... But I had never had any good ideas.

So one day, I asked one of my friends to buy a national flag of that country he was going to visit. I added one request to him; "please buy a large size, its width would be over 1 meter." In some countries, my request becomes a big difficulty if the patriotism of the country isn't high. My request is :

My final ambition is to display all of the flags like the square in front of the United Nations :-)

Related Info:

Nippon [Nippon]
I bought this by 3,300 yen although its price tag said 6,600 yen.
USA [The United States of America]
I visited USA in my graduation trip (just before graduading Kyoto Univ). In USA, it was easy to buy it. [1991/03,155x92cm]
Great Britain [The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland]
My sister bought it for me when she stayed there. [199x,150x90cm]
Australia [Australia](1)
Mr.Gotoh , who is my friend since high-school, bought it when he went sightseeing in the west coast of Australia. [199x,140x67cm]
HongKong [Hong Kong]
Before Hongkong was returned to China, I visited there. It was quite difficult to buy it. The hotel's concierge tought me a flag factory shop where the hotel usually buys their flags. The shop was very far and was located in a complicated, not new, traditional ^_^ building. [1993,190x123cm]
Italy [Republic of Italy]
When I visited Italy, the world cup'94 was being held and shops on streets sold flags :-) [1994,140x75cm]
Canada [Canada]
Mr.Tsuda in my lab bought it when he went there to attend an academic conference. [1995/08,145x83cm]
Singapore [Republic of Singapore]
I bought it when I attended an academic conference (ACCV'95). It was also hard to get big flags in singapore. When I asked the hotel's concierge a place where I could buy a big flag, they misunderstood that I want to buy 'flower', not 'flag'... Yes, it's true my speaking skill is quite poor. [1995/12,155x90cm]
Thailand [Kingdom of Thailand]
Mr.Tsuda bought it. He couldn't find it in souvenior shops, but found it in a stationary store. [199x,100x67cm]
Norway [Kingdom of Norway]
My mother purchased it when she visited north Europe. [199x,88x62cm]
China [People's Republic of China]
In China, the flags are under control of the government and visitors can not buy flags *_*; My mother explained to her guide why she wanted a flag, then he made a promise to send it to Japan later. He kept his promise, but how he could get it ? That is the mystery. [1996/01,63x40cm]
Turkey [Republic of Turkey]
My mother also visited orient countries. [199x,150x97cm]
Nepal [Kingdom of Nepal]
My mother's friend lived in Nepal for several years and she visited there. [199x,125x190cm]
Bhutan [Kingdom of Bhutan]
When my mother visited Nepal at the 2nd time, she went Bhutan too. [199x,88x60cm]
Sweden [Kingdom of Sweden]
Prof. Minoh bought it for me in summer, 1996. [1996/07,120x75cm]
France [French Republic]
Ms. Watanabe bought it for me in August 1997. She spends a couple of weeks in southern France every year. [1997/09,140x95cm]
Germany [Federal Republic of Germany](1)
My collegue Tsuda bought it for me when he attended ICDAR'97. [1997/08,150x85cm]
Portugal [Portuguese Republic]
My mother bought it for me in 1997. [199x,130x86cm]
Pakistan [Islamic Republic of Pakistan]
Mr Zahooruddin, who finished the graduate school of Engineering on March 1997, sent me this flag after he went back to his home country, Pakistan. [1998,100x57cm]
Philippines [The Republic of Philippines]
Mr. Tsuda bought it for me when he went sightseeing to Philippines to visit his friend Mr. Naval. [1998/03,68x41cm]
England Extra: [England]
My mother visited England and Scotland in June 1998. [1998/06,90x60cm]
Geneva Extra: [Geneva, Swiss]
Ms. Watanabe's souvenior of her summer vacation. [1998/09,80x75cm]
Australia [Australia](2)
My mother visited Rain Forest state in Australia.[1998/10] [1998/10,175x120cm]
Greece [Hellenic Republic]
My mother brought it to me. [199?/??,195x115cm]
New Zealand [New Zealand]
Yoshiuchi, who is a member of our lab, went there to attend an academic conference. [199?/??,90x57cm]
Malaysia [Malaysia]
My mother brought it to me. [1999/??,175x83cm]
Sabah_in_Malaysia Extra: [Sabah, Malaysia]
My mother brought it. Where is Sabah ? [1999/??,170x80cm]
EU Extra: [Europian Union]
I attended ICMCS'99. [1999/06]
Mongolia [Mongolian People's Republic]
My mother brought it to me. [1999/??]
UN Extra: [United Nations](1)
Kentaro, a member of our lab, brought it to me. [1999/08,90x60cm]
Swiss [Swiss Confederation]
Ms. Watanabe brought it to me. It seems it is very hard to get it there because many of my friends failed in getting it. [1999/09,92x94cm]
Korea [Republic of Korea]
After an academic conference, we went sightseeing by taxi around Taejon. Our taxi driver got into a city hall and brought me the Korean flag. As he could not speak English, I asked a hotel concierge to translate my request into Korean beforehand. With a gold ball and a hoist. [1999/10,90x60cm]
India [India]
Prof. Miyazaki, my colleague in Kyoto Univ, brought it to me on his way to attend an international conference. [1999/xx,70x50cm]
Syria [Syrian Arab Republic]
My mother went to Syria but she couldn't get one. What she could got was a plastic small flag. I hope to see someone who will go to Syria soon... [200x,47x30cm]
Maldives [Republic of Maldives]
My mother brought it to me. It was very hard... [2000/xx,120x80cm]
morocco [Kingdom of Morocco]
My mother brought it to me. [2000/xx,90x75cm]
California Extra: [California State, USA]
I collect only national flags because there are so many local flags around the world. But, when I was in LAX, I was so bored on waiting my flight, and ... I happened to get California flag. What should I do from now? [2000/02,150x90cm]
mexico [United Mexican States]
Hagihara, a member of our lab, brought it to me. [2000/02,150x93cm]
Germany [Federal Republic of Germany](2)
Miss Kawamoto, our lab's former secretary, brought it to me. She became Mrs. Maeda just before the tour. [2000/06/14,55x32cm]
UN [United Nations](2)
I went to UN head quater on the way to ICME2000. BUT, when I got there, there were no flags on the poles... Why? I was so sad. [2000/08,250x150cm]
Indonesia [Republic of Indonesia]
My friend of my high school days lives in Indonesia now and I asked her to send me a flag from there. [2000/08,115x75cm]
Spain [Spain](1)
Iiyama, one of my students, gave a presentation in ICPR2000 and he brought it to me. [2000/09,150x100cm]
Austria [Republic of Austria]
I got it when I went there on our honeymoon. [2000/10,150x90cm]
Chile [Republic of Chile]
A friend of Ms. Watanabe brought it to me. Now I've reached nations on all the continents! [2001/03,60x40cm]
Spain [Spain](2)
My wife's cousin enjoyed visiting there before she graduated. [2001/02,150x90cm]
Belgium [Kingdom of Belgium]
My wife's cousin enjoyed visiting there before she graduated. [2001/02,155x88cm]
Mongolia [Mongolian People's Republic](2)
My father went there to visit the exhibition of a Japanese artist. [2001/08,75x37cm]
Russia [Russian Federation]
My mother went there with My aunt for sightseeing. [2001/09,140x92cm]
Russia [Republic of Poland]
Tomek, my colleague in our lab, got it for me, as he is Polish. [2002/11,117x70cm]
Cambodia [Kingdom of Cambodia]
My mother visited there to see Angkor Wat. [2003/10]
Israel [State of Israel]
An Israeli saw this page and sent me a big and nice Israeli flag. Thanks, Eli! [2004/06,155x110cm]
Taiwan [Taiwan]
I got a Taiwanese flag when I attended ICME2004. My hotel's staff didn't know where to buy flags, but a concierge of the grand hotel told me the location of a flag maker in a couple of minutes. How nice they are... [2004/06,147x96cm]
Ireland [Ireland]
My mother stayed Ireland for 13(!) days for sightseeing. There should be thousands of things to see... [2004/06,150x90cm]
Bavaria Extra: Bavaria [Bavaria]
I happened to get acquinted with Mr. Lawitzky, a Bavarian, by my photoes on my web site. He is so kind and respectful that he sent me a pretty good DVD produced by themselves and this nice flag. [2004/10,150x90cm]
Argentine [Argentine Republic]
My mother purchased it on her way to the continent that has no national flag. [2005/03,158x85cm]
The Netherlands [Kingdom of the Netherlands]
ICME2005 was held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. I went there and was impressed by not only the talks in the conference but also the beautiful canals and wind mills up there. [2005/07,132x80cm]
Viet Nam [Socialist Republic of Viet Nam]
Tamura-san, My wife's friend's husband, got this flag when he was on his business trip. I heard it was really inexpensive, but yet it is nice size. Thanks! [2005/09,147x100cm]
Papua New Guinea [Papua New Guinea]
My mother went to Papua New Guinea for diving into the beautiful sea. The design of the flag is also nice, isn't it? [2005/12,152x87cm]
India [India]
ACCV2006 was held in the 2nd IT city, Hyderabad, India. It was not easy to find a shop which sells flags because what I could obtain was a name of the district (ABIDS). I got a very expensive one (680 Rupees) this time as this is my second indian flag. [2006/01,140x90cm]
Yap Extra: [State of Yap] (Federated States of Micronesia)
My mother brought it to me instead of the national flag of Micronesia. It was very hard to get the national flag there. [2006/04,???x??cm]

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