Ban 幡 are Buddhist banners used for deathbed rites and funerals, and various rituals and customs have developed around them. However, in Japan, which has a humid environment, existing flags from before the Edo period are extremely rare, and aside from examples which are preserved in the Hōryuji, no other examples are known.
Nine newly discovered ancient banners, dating to 1369, are relics that connect the period from ancient to modern times. The words which can be read on these banners, shūfuku kuyō owari tatematsuru 奉修複供養畢 （“End of restoration memorial service”）, indicate the development of the process of remembrance through restoration, and the people involved in the earliest restoration.
