Japanese Sake Cup with Union Jack Flag

I came across this sake cup with a Uk flag but can find no reference to anything that looks like this one ,looking some help to tell me exactly what I have I have seen countless cups but nothing with this flag would be interested to know if it has some meaning.Any help greatly appreciated .

 

looks like a dish with a metal pin on it....
likely commemorative ...of some event.

 

Yeah as far as I know now, it might be something to do with the Japanese Alliance of around 1902 just need to find something similar from that period.The metal badge is Merchant Navy just posted a quick photo to see if anyone knew the cup.

 

Apart from WWI, the only time I remember Japan fighting on the side of the UK was during the Boxer Rebellion and the siege of the Peking Legation Quarter in 1900. Perhaps it's got something to do with that?

 

Japan and England were official allies very early in 20th C. These cups would have been sold to British Royal Navy people, diplomats, etc. or anyone who wanted a keepsake expressing the love affair between the two countries. That's what I'm reading into the cup anyway. Here's related info.

https://books.google.com/books?id=W...=onepage&q=saki union jack rising sun&f=false

 

Also Japan was on the side of the Allies during WWI. They were upset at the Versailles because Britain, France & US more or less ignored them. When the limits were put on countries as to size of Navys, ships, and whatall by the either the League of Nations or the Washington Convention after WWI, Japan again was upset because they weren't allowed to have ships as big or as many as those allowed to England and US. All these disappointments added to their displeasure of the west. They didn't abide to the regulations and secretively made ships as big and as many as they could - hence added to our surprise at Pearl Harbor.

Here are google images of many sake cups with the Rising Sun flag. Many of them have 2 flags. Probably a big majority of them are from WWII. I haven't look down the page to see if any have the aunion Jack.
https://www.google.com/search?q=WW2...wbLTAhXi44MKHW6PBjEQ_AUIBygB&biw=1024&bih=649

 

Thank you will check it out I havent seen one with a Union flag yet so possibly an uncommon one.

 

Here is a 1900 Russo Japanese War Postcard with the crossed British flag and Japanese Rising Sun flag with a Red Cross, bird on top, in the middle. The postmark is "38-12-3" that the seller translates as 3 Dec. Meiji 38 (1905)." Another postmark on it "39-1-18" translated to 18 Jan. Meiji 39 (1906)."

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Russo-Japan...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

--- Susan

 

Hi Susan it looks the same flags as on my sake cup its the only sign I have seen thats similar nothing anywhere with a British flag on it at the moment it looks like the only one .Thank you for the help will keep looking,William.

 

Heres some better photos of the cup.