The
national flag
A national flag is a flag that represents and symbolizes a given nation. It is flown by the government of that nation, but usually can also be flown by its citizens. A national flag is typically designed with specific meanings for its colours ...
of
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
is a rectangular white banner bearing a crimson-red circle at its center. This flag is officially called the , but is more commonly known in Japan as the . It embodies the country's
sobriquet
A sobriquet ( ), or soubriquet, is a nickname, sometimes assumed, but often given by another, that is descriptive. A sobriquet is distinct from a pseudonym, as it is typically a familiar name used in place of a real name, without the need of expla ...
: the
Land of the Rising Sun
The word ''Japan'' is an exonym, and is used (in one form or another) by many languages. The Japanese names for Japan are Nippon () and Nihon (). They are both written in Japanese using the kanji .
During the third-century CE Three Kingdoms peri ...
.
The ''Nisshoki'' flag is designated as the national flag in the
Act on National Flag and Anthem
The , abbreviated as , is a law that formally established Japan's national flag and national anthem, anthem. Before its ratification on August 13, 1999, there was no official flag or anthem for Japan. The flag, commonly referred to as the , had r ...
, which was promulgated and became effective on 13 August 1999. Although no earlier legislation had specified a national flag, the sun-disc flag had already become the ''de facto'' national flag of Japan. Two proclamations issued in 1870 by the
Daijō-kan
The , also known as the Great Council of State, was (i) (''Daijō-kan'') the highest organ of Japan's premodern Imperial government under the Ritsuryō legal system during and after the Nara period or (ii) (''Dajō-kan'') the highest organ of Jap ...
, the governmental body of the early
Meiji period
The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912.
The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization ...
, each had a provision for a design of the national flag. A sun-disc flag was adopted as the national flag for merchant ships under Proclamation No. 57 of Meiji 3 (issued on 27 February 1870), and as the national flag used by the Navy under Proclamation No. 651 of Meiji 3 (issued on 27 October 1870). Use of the ''Hinomaru'' was severely restricted during the early years of the
Allied occupation of Japan
Japan was occupied and administered by the victorious Allies of World War II from the 1945 surrender of the Empire of Japan at the end of the war until the
Treaty of San Francisco took effect in 1952. The occupation, led by the United States wi ...
after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
; these restrictions were later relaxed.
The sun plays an important role in
Japanese mythology
Japanese mythology is a collection of traditional stories, folktales, and beliefs that emerged in the islands of the Japanese archipelago. Shinto and Buddhist traditions are the cornerstones of Japanese mythology. The history of thousands of year ...
and religion, as the
Emperor
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...
is said to be the
direct descendant of the
Shinto
Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shintois ...
sun goddess
Amaterasu
Amaterasu, also known as Amaterasu Ōmikami () or Ōhirume no Muchi no Kami (), is the goddess of the sun in Japanese mythology. One of the major deities (''kami'') of Shinto, she is also portrayed in Japan's earliest literary texts, the ''Kojik ...
, and the legitimacy of the
ruling house rested on this divine appointment. The
name of the country as well as the design of the flag reflect this central importance of the sun. The ancient history
Shoku Nihongi
The is an imperially-commissioned Japanese history text. Completed in 797, it is the second of the ''Six National Histories'', coming directly after the '' Nihon Shoki'' and followed by ''Nihon Kōki''. Fujiwara no Tsugutada and Sugano no Mamichi ...
says that
Emperor Monmu
was the 42nd emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 文武天皇 (42) retrieved 2013-8-22. according to the traditional order of succession.
Monmu's reign spanned the years from 697 through 707.
Traditional narrative
Befo ...
used a flag representing the sun in his court in 701, the first recorded use of a sun-motif flag in Japan.
The oldest existing flag is preserved in Unpō-ji temple,
Kōshū, Yamanashi
is a Cities of Japan, city located in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 31,526 in 13,147 households, and a population density of 120 persons per km². The total area of the city is . The city is the home of ...
, which is older than the 16th century, and an ancient legend says that the flag was given to the temple by
Emperor Go-Reizei
was the 70th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 後冷泉天皇 (70)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession.
Go-Reizei's reign spanned the years 1045–1068.
This 11th century sovereign was named after the ...
in the 11th century. During the
Meiji Restoration
The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...
, the sun disc and the
Rising Sun Ensign of the
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrender ...
and
Army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
became major symbols in the emerging
Japanese Empire
The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II 1947 constitution and subsequent forma ...
. Propaganda posters, textbooks, and films depicted the flag as a source of pride and patriotism. In Japanese homes, citizens were required to display the flag during national holidays, celebrations and other occasions as decreed by the government. Different tokens of devotion to Japan and its Emperor featuring the ''Hinomaru'' motif became popular among the public during the
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) or War of Resistance (Chinese term) was a military conflict that was primarily waged between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. The war made up the Chinese theater of the wider Pacific Th ...
and other conflicts. These tokens ranged from slogans written on the flag to clothing items and dishes that resembled the flag.
Public perception of the national flag varies. Historically, both Western and Japanese sources claimed the flag was a powerful and enduring symbol to the Japanese. Since the end of World War II (the
Pacific War
The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the theater of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vast ...
), the use of the flag and the national anthem ''
Kimigayo
is the national anthem of Japan. The lyrics are from a ' poem written by an unnamed author in the Heian period (794–1185), and the current melody was chosen in 1880, replacing an unpopular melody composed by John William Fenton eleven years e ...
'' has been a contentious issue for Japan's public schools, and disputes about their use have led to protests and lawsuits. In
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
and
Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
, the flag is a symbol of aggression and
imperialism
Imperialism is the state policy, practice, or advocacy of extending power and dominion, especially by direct territorial acquisition or by gaining political and economic control of other areas, often through employing hard power (economic and ...
. Several
military banners of Japan are based on the ''Hinomaru'', including the sunrayed naval ensign. The ''Hinomaru'' also serves as a template for other Japanese flags in public and private use.
History
Ancient to medieval
![Flag of Japan (1870–1999)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/Flag_of_Japan_%281870%E2%80%931999%29.svg)
The exact origin of the ''Hinomaru'' is unknown,
but the rising sun has carried symbolic meaning since the early 7th century (the Japanese archipelago is east of the Asian mainland, and is thus where the sun "rises"). In 607, an official correspondence that began with "from the Emperor of the rising sun" was sent to Chinese
Emperor Yang of Sui
Emperor Yang of Sui (隋煬帝, 569 – 11 April 618), personal name Yang Guang (), alternative name Ying (), Xianbei name Amo (), also known as Emperor Ming of Sui () during the brief reign of his grandson Yang Tong, was the second emperor of ...
. Japan is often referred to as "the land of the rising sun".
The sun is closely related to the
Imperial family
A royal family is the immediate family of kings/queens, emirs/emiras, sultans/ sultanas, or raja/rani and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term pap ...
, as legend states the imperial throne was descended from the sun goddess
Amaterasu
Amaterasu, also known as Amaterasu Ōmikami () or Ōhirume no Muchi no Kami (), is the goddess of the sun in Japanese mythology. One of the major deities (''kami'') of Shinto, she is also portrayed in Japan's earliest literary texts, the ''Kojik ...
. The religion, which is categorized as the ancient
Ko-Shintō religion of the
Japanese people
The are an East Asian ethnic group native to the Japanese archipelago."人類学上は,旧石器時代あるいは縄文時代以来,現在の北海道〜沖縄諸島(南西諸島)に住んだ集団を祖先にもつ人々。" () Jap ...
, includes
nature worship
Nature worship also called naturism or physiolatry is any of a variety of religious, spiritual and devotional practices that focus on the worship of the nature spirits considered to be behind the natural phenomena visible throughout nature. A nat ...
and
animism
Animism (from Latin: ' meaning 'breath, Soul, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct Spirituality, spiritual essence. Potentially, animism perceives all things—Animal, animals, Plant, plants, Ro ...
, and the
faith
Faith, derived from Latin ''fides'' and Old French ''feid'', is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or In the context of religion, one can define faith as "belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion".
Religious people often ...
has been worshiping the
sun, especially in
agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
and
fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...
. The Imperial God,
Amaterasu-ōmikami
Amaterasu, also known as Amaterasu Ōmikami () or Ōhirume no Muchi no Kami (), is the goddess of the sun
A solar deity or sun deity is a deity who represents the Sun, or an aspect of it. Such deities are usually associated with power and ...
, is the sun goddess. From the
Yayoi period
The started at the beginning of the Neolithic in Japan, continued through the Bronze Age, and towards its end crossed into the Iron Age.
Since the 1980s, scholars have argued that a period previously classified as a transition from the Jōmon p ...
(300 BCE) to the
Kofun period
The is an era in the history of Japan from about 300 to 538 AD (the date of the introduction of Buddhism), following the Yayoi period. The Kofun and the subsequent Asuka periods are sometimes collectively called the Yamato period. This period is ...
(250 CE) (
Yamato period), the Naiko Kamonkyo (, a large bronze mirror with patterns like a flower-petal manufactured in Japan) was used as a celebration of the shape of the shining sun and there is a theory that one of the
Three Sacred Treasures,
Yata no Kagami
is a sacred bronze mirror that is part of the Imperial Regalia of Japan.
Name and significance
The represents "wisdom" or "honesty," depending on the source. Its name literally means "The Eight wikt:咫#Japanese, Mirror," a reference to its ...
, is used like this mirror.
During the eastern expedition (Jinmu tosei),
Emperor Jimmu's brother Itsuse no Mikoto was killed in a battle against the local chieftain Nagasunehiko ("the long-legged man") in Naniwa (modern-day Osaka).
Emperor Jimmu realized, as descendants of the sun, that he did not want to fight towards the sun (to the east), but to fight from the sun (to the west). So his clan went to the east side of
Kii Peninsula
The is the largest peninsula on the island of Honshū in Japan. It is named after the ancient Kii Province.
Overview
The area south of the “ Central Tectonic Line” is called , and is home to reef-like coral communities which are amongst ...
to battle westward. They reached
Kumano (or
Ise Ise may refer to:
Places
*Ise, Mie, a city in Japan
**Ise Grand Shrine, a Shinto shrine located in Ise, Mie
*Ise Ekiti, a city in Nigeria
*Ise, Norway, a village in Norway
*Ise Province, an ancient province of Japan
*River Ise, a tributary of the R ...
) and went towards Yamato. They were victorious at the second battle with Nagasunehiko and conquered the
Kinki region.
The use of the sun-shaped flag was thought to have taken place since the emperor's direct imperial rule (親政) was established after the
Isshi Incident in 645 (first year of the
Taika (era)
was a during the reign of Kōtoku.Tisingh, Isaac. (1834). The Taika era immediately preceded the '' Hakuchi era.'' This period spanned the years from August 645 through February 650.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Taika''" in ; n.b., ...
).
The Japanese history text ''
Shoku Nihongi
The is an imperially-commissioned Japanese history text. Completed in 797, it is the second of the ''Six National Histories'', coming directly after the '' Nihon Shoki'' and followed by ''Nihon Kōki''. Fujiwara no Tsugutada and Sugano no Mamichi ...
'', completed in 797, has the first recorded use of the sun-motif flag by
Emperor Monmu
was the 42nd emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 文武天皇 (42) retrieved 2013-8-22. according to the traditional order of succession.
Monmu's reign spanned the years from 697 through 707.
Traditional narrative
Befo ...
's in 701 (the first year of the
Taihō era).
For the decoration of the ceremony hall on New Year's Day the was raised.
Since ancient times, the sun has been a symbol of
national unity
Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a in-group and out-group, group of peo ...
because of the close relationship between national rule and the sun. In Japan, "red and white" has been regarded as a joyous color scheme. One theory is folklore that there is a sense of
sacred–profane dichotomy (sacred = red, profane = white), and that this is also derived from the Genpei War.
One prominent theory is influenced by the results of the
Genpei War
The was a national civil war between the Taira and Minamoto clans during the late Heian period of Japan. It resulted in the downfall of the Taira and the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate under Minamoto no Yoritomo, who appointed himself ...
(1180–1185).
Until the
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japanese. ...
, the Nishiki flag (Nishiki no mihata 錦の御旗), a symbol of the Imperial Court, had a golden sun circle and a silver moon circle on a red background.
At the end of the Heian era, the
Taira clan
The Taira was one of the four most important clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian, Kamakura and Muromachi Periods of Japanese history – the others being the Fujiwara, the Tachibana, and the Minamoto. The clan is divided ...
called themselves a government army and used the red flag with a gold circle (赤地金丸) as per the Imperial Court.
The Genji (
Minamoto clan) were in opposition so they used a white flag with a red circle (白地赤丸) when they fought the Genpei War (1180–1185).
When the Taira clan was defeated, the samurai government (
bakufu, 幕府) was formed by the Genji.
The warlords who came after such as
Oda Nobunaga
was a Japanese ''daimyō'' and one of the leading figures of the Sengoku period. He is regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan.
Nobunaga was head of the very powerful Oda clan, and launched a war against other ''daimyō'' to unify ...
and
Tokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, which ruled Japan from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was one of the three "Great Unifiers" of Japan, along with his former lord Oda Nobunaga and fellow ...
realized they were successors of Genji so they raised the ''Hinomaru'' flag in battle.
In the 12th-century work, ''
The Tale of the Heike'', it was written that different
samurai
were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...
carried drawings of the sun on their fans.
One legend related to the national flag is attributed to the
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
priest
Nichiren
Nichiren (16 February 1222 – 13 October 1282) was a Japanese Buddhist priest and philosopher of the Kamakura period.
Nichiren declared that the Lotus Sutra alone contains the highest truth of Buddhist teachings suited for the Third Age of B ...
. Supposedly, during a 13th-century
Mongolia
Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...
n invasion of Japan, Nichiren gave a sun banner to the ''
shōgun
, officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamakur ...
'' to carry into battle.
During the
Battle of Nagashino (28 June 1575), Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu's allied forces fought
Takeda Katsuyori.
Both Nobunaga and Ieyasu had their own flags with family crests, but they also held the ''Hinomaru''.
On the other hand, the Takeda clan side also raised the ''Hinomaru''.
So the ''Hinomaru'' was used as a national symbol.
One of Japan's oldest flags is housed at the Unpo-ji temple in
Kōshū city,
Yamanashi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Yamanashi Prefecture has a population of 817,192 (1 January 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,465 km2 (1,724 sq mi). Yamanashi Prefecture borders Saitama Prefecture to the no ...
.
Legend states it was given by
Emperor Go-Reizei
was the 70th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 後冷泉天皇 (70)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession.
Go-Reizei's reign spanned the years 1045–1068.
This 11th century sovereign was named after the ...
to
Minamoto no Yoshimitsu and has been treated as a family treasure by the
Takeda clan for the past 1,000 years,
and at least it is older than 16th century.
In the 16th century
unification period, each ''
daimyō
were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji era, Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and n ...
'' had flags that were used primarily in battle. Most of the flags were long banners usually charged with the
mon
Mon, MON or Mon. may refer to:
Places
* Mon State, a subdivision of Myanmar
* Mon, India, a town in Nagaland
* Mon district, Nagaland
* Mon, Raebareli, a village in Uttar Pradesh, India
* Mon, Switzerland, a village in the Canton of Grisons
* An ...
(family crest) of the ''daimyō'' lord. Members of the same family, such as a son, father, and brother, had different flags to carry into battle. The flags served as identification and were displayed by soldiers on their backs and horses. Generals also had their own flags, most of which differed from soldiers' flags due to their square shape.
In 1854, during the
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate (, Japanese 徳川幕府 ''Tokugawa bakufu''), also known as the , was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Tokugawa-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia ...
, Japanese ships were ordered to hoist the ''Hinomaru'' to distinguish themselves from foreign ships.
Before then, different types of ''Hinomaru'' flags were used on vessels that were trading with the U.S. and Russia.
The ''Hinomaru'' was decreed the merchant flag of Japan in 1870 and was the legal national flag from 1870 to 1885, making it the first national flag Japan adopted.
While the idea of national symbols was strange to the Japanese, the Meiji Government needed them to communicate with the outside world. This became especially important after the landing of U.S. Commodore
Matthew Perry in Yokohama Bay. Further Meiji Government implementations gave more identifications to Japan, including the anthem ''Kimigayo'' and the imperial seal.
In 1885, all previous laws not published in the Official Gazette of Japan were abolished. Because of this ruling by the new cabinet of Japan, the ''Hinomaru'' was the ''de facto'' national flag since no law was in place after the
Meiji Restoration
The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...
.
Early conflicts and the Pacific War
![1939 Family photo from Nagano](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/1939_Family_photo_from_Nagano.jpg)
The use of the national flag grew as Japan sought to develop an empire, and the ''Hinomaru'' was present at celebrations after victories in the
First Sino-Japanese and
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War ( ja, 日露戦争, Nichiro sensō, Japanese-Russian War; russian: Ру́сско-япóнская войнá, Rússko-yapónskaya voyná) was fought between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire during 1904 and 1 ...
s. The flag was also used in war efforts throughout the country.
A Japanese propaganda film in 1934 portrayed foreign national flags as incomplete or defective with their designs, while the Japanese flag is perfect in all forms. In 1937, a group of girls from
Hiroshima Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Hiroshima Prefecture has a population of 2,811,410 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 8,479 km² (3,274 sq mi). Hiroshima Prefecture borders Okayama ...
showed solidarity with Japanese soldiers fighting in China during the
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) or War of Resistance (Chinese term) was a military conflict that was primarily waged between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. The war made up the Chinese theater of the wider Pacific Th ...
, by eating "flag meals" that consisted of an
umeboshi in the middle of a bed of rice. The ''Hinomaru
bento'' became the main symbol of Japan's war mobilization and solidarity with its soldiers until the 1940s.
Japan's early victories in the Sino-Japanese War resulted in the ''Hinomaru'' again being used for celebrations. It was seen in the hands of every Japanese during parades.
Textbooks during this period also had the ''Hinomaru'' printed with various slogans expressing devotion to the Emperor and the country. Patriotism was taught as a virtue to Japanese children. Expressions of patriotism, such as displaying the flag or worshiping the Emperor daily, were all part of being a "good Japanese".
The flag was a tool of Japanese imperialism in the occupied Southeast Asian areas during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
: people had to use the flag, and schoolchildren sang ''Kimigayo'' in morning flag raising ceremonies. Local flags were allowed for some areas such as the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
,
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
, and
Manchukuo
Manchukuo, officially the State of Manchuria prior to 1934 and the Empire of (Great) Manchuria after 1934, was a puppet state of the Empire of Japan in Northeast China, Manchuria from 1932 until 1945. It was founded as a republic in 1932 afte ...
. In
Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
which was part of the Empire of Japan, the ''Hinomaru'' and other symbols were used to declare that the Koreans were subjects of the empire.
During the Pacific War, Americans coined the derogatory term "meatballs" for the ''Hinomaru'' and Japanese
military aircraft insignia. To the Japanese, the ''Hinomaru'' was the "Rising Sun flag that would light the darkness of the entire world". To Westerners, it was one of the Japanese military's most powerful symbols.
U.S. occupation
![Surrender of Japanese Forces in Southern Korea](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/27/Surrender_of_Japanese_Forces_in_Southern_Korea.jpg)
The ''Hinomaru'' was the ''
de facto
''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with ''de jure'' ("by la ...
'' flag of Japan throughout World War II and the occupation period.
During the
occupation of Japan
Japan was occupied and administered by the victorious Allies of World War II from the 1945 surrender of the Empire of Japan at the end of the war until the
Treaty of San Francisco took effect in 1952. The occupation, led by the United States wi ...
after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, permission from the
Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers (SCAPJ) was needed to fly the ''Hinomaru''.
Sources differ on the degree to which the use of the ''Hinomaru'' flag was restricted; some use the term "banned;"
however, while the original restrictions were severe, they did not amount to an outright ban.
After World War II, an
ensign was used by Japanese civil ships of the United States Naval Shipping Control Authority for Japanese Merchant Marines.
Modified from the "E"
signal code, the ensign was used from September 1945 until the U.S. occupation of Japan ceased. U.S. ships operating in Japanese waters used a modified "O" signal flag as their ensign.
On 2 May 1947, General
Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He had served with distinction in World War I, was C ...
lifted the restrictions on displaying the ''Hinomaru'' in the grounds of the
National Diet Building
The is the building where both houses of the National Diet, National Diet of Japan meet. It is located at Nagatachō, Tokyo, Nagatachō 1-chome 7–1, Chiyoda, Tokyo.
Sessions of the House of Representatives (Japan), House of Representatives ta ...
, on the
Imperial Palace, on the
Prime Minister's residence and on the Supreme Court building with the ratification of the new
Constitution of Japan
The Constitution of Japan (Shinjitai: , Kyūjitai: , Hepburn: ) is the constitution of Japan and the supreme law in the state. Written primarily by American civilian officials working under the Allied occupation of Japan, the constitution r ...
.
Those restrictions were further relaxed in 1948, when people were allowed to fly the flag on national holidays. In January 1949, the restrictions were abolished and anyone could fly the ''Hinomaru'' at any time without permission. As a result, schools and homes were encouraged to fly the ''Hinomaru'' until the early 1950s.
Postwar to 1999
![Japan joins the United Nations](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/Japan_joins_the_United_Nations.jpg)
Since World War II, Japan's flag has been criticized for its association with the country's
militaristic past. Similar objections have also been raised to the current national anthem of Japan, ''
Kimigayo
is the national anthem of Japan. The lyrics are from a ' poem written by an unnamed author in the Heian period (794–1185), and the current melody was chosen in 1880, replacing an unpopular melody composed by John William Fenton eleven years e ...
''.
The feelings about the ''Hinomaru'' and ''Kimigayo'' represented a general shift from a patriotic feeling about "Dai Nippon" – Great Japan – to the pacifist and anti-militarist "Nihon". Because of this ideological shift, the flag was used less often in Japan directly after the war even though restrictions were lifted by the SCAPJ in 1949.
As Japan began to re-establish itself diplomatically, the ''Hinomaru'' was used as a political weapon overseas. In a visit by
Emperor Shōwa and
Empress Kōjun to the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, the ''Hinomaru'' was burned by Dutch citizens who demanded that he either be sent home to Japan or tried for the deaths of Dutch
prisoners of war
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held Captivity, captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold priso ...
during the Second World War. Domestically, the flag was not even used in protests against a new
Status of Forces Agreement A status of forces agreement (SOFA) is an agreement between a host country and a foreign nation stationing military forces in that country. SOFAs are often included, along with other types of military agreements, as part of a comprehensive security ...
being negotiated between the U.S. and Japan. The most common flag used by the trade unions and other protesters was the
red flag Red flag may refer to:
* Red flag (idiom), a metaphor for something signalling a problem
** Red flag warning, a term used by meteorologists
** Red flag (battle ensign), maritime flag signaling an intention to give battle with no quarter (fight to ...
of revolt.
An issue with the ''Hinomaru'' and national anthem was raised once again when Tokyo hosted the
1964 Summer Olympic Games
The , officially the and commonly known as Tokyo 1964 ( ja, 東京1964), were an international multi-sport event held from 10 to 24 October 1964 in Tokyo, Japan. Tokyo had been awarded the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this hon ...
. Before the Olympic Games, the size of the sun disc of the national flag was changed partly because the sun disc was not considered striking when it was being flown with other national flags.
Tadamasa Fukiura, a color specialist, chose to set the sun disc at two-thirds of the flag's length. Fukiura also chose the flag colors for the 1964 games as well as for the
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially known as the and commonly known as Nagano 1998 ( ja, 長野1998), was a winter multi-sport event held from 7 to 22 February 1998, mainly in Nagano, Japan, with some events taking place in the ...
in Nagano.
In 1989, the death of Emperor Shōwa once again raised moral issues about the national flag. Conservatives felt that if the flag could be used during the ceremonies without reopening old wounds, they might have a chance to propose that the ''Hinomaru'' become the national flag without being challenged about its meaning.
During an official six-day mourning period, flags were flown at half staff or draped in black bunting all across Japan. Despite reports of protesters vandalizing the ''Hinomaru'' on the day of the Emperor's funeral, schools' right to fly the Japanese flag at
half-staff
Half-mast or half-staff (American English) refers to a flag flying below the summit of a ship mast, a pole on land, or a pole on a building. In many countries this is seen as a symbol of respect, mourning, distress, or, in some cases, a salut ...
without reservations brought success to the conservatives.
Since 1999
![国旗及び国歌に関する法律](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/%E5%9B%BD%E6%97%97%E5%8F%8A%E3%81%B3%E5%9B%BD%E6%AD%8C%E3%81%AB%E9%96%A2%E3%81%99%E3%82%8B%E6%B3%95%E5%BE%8B.jpg)
The ''
Law Regarding the National Flag and National Anthem'' was passed in 1999, choosing both the ''Hinomaru'' and ''Kimigayo'' as Japan's national symbols. The passage of the law stemmed from the suicide of the principal of in
Sera,
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui h ...
, Toshihiro Ishikawa, who could not resolve a dispute between his school board and his teachers over the use of the ''Hinomaru'' and ''Kimigayo''.
The Act is one of the most controversial laws passed by the
Diet since the 1992 "Law Concerning Cooperation for United Nations Peacekeeping Operations and Other Operations", also known as the "International Peace Cooperation Law".
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
Keizō Obuchi
was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 1998 to 2000.
Obuchi was elected to the House of Representatives in Gunma Prefecture in 1963, becoming the youngest legislator in Japanese history, and was re-elected to his ...
of the
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) decided to draft legislation to make the ''Hinomaru'' and ''Kimigayo'' official symbols of Japan in 2000. His
Chief Cabinet Secretary
The is a member of the cabinet and is the leader and chief executive of the Cabinet Secretariat of Japan. The Chief Cabinet Secretary coordinates the policies of ministries and agencies in the executive branch, and also serves as the government ...
,
Hiromu Nonaka
was a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party.
Nonaka served as a local politician in Kyoto Prefecture from 1951 to 1978 and in the House of Representatives from 1983 to 2003, becoming one of its most prominent members in the 1990 ...
, wanted the legislation to be completed by the 10th anniversary of Emperor
Akihito
is a member of the Imperial House of Japan who reigned as the 125th emperor of Japan from 7 January 1989 until his abdication on 30 April 2019. He presided over the Heisei era, ''Heisei'' being an expression of achieving peace worldwide.
Bo ...
's
enthronement
An enthronement is a ceremony of inauguration, involving a person—usually a monarch or religious leader—being formally seated for the first time upon their throne. Enthronements may also feature as part of a larger coronation rite.
...
.
This is not the first time legislation was considered for establishing both symbols as official. In 1974, with the backdrop of the 1972 return of Okinawa to Japan and the
1973 oil crisis
The 1973 oil crisis or first oil crisis began in October 1973 when the members of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC), led by Saudi Arabia, proclaimed an oil embargo. The embargo was targeted at nations that had supp ...
, Prime Minister
Kakuei Tanaka
was a Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives (Japan), House of Representatives from 1947 Japanese general election, 1947 to 1990 Japanese general election, 1990, and was Prime Minister of Japan from 1972 to 1974.
After ...
hinted at a law being passed enshrining both symbols in the law of Japan.
In addition to instructing the schools to teach and play ''Kimigayo'', Tanaka wanted students to raise the ''Hinomaru'' flag in a ceremony every morning, and to adopt a moral curriculum based on certain elements of the
Imperial Rescript on Education pronounced by the
Meiji Emperor in 1890. Tanaka was unsuccessful in passing the law through the Diet that year.
The main supporters of the bill were the LDP and the
Komeito
, formerly New Komeito and abbreviated NKP, is a conservative political party in Japan founded by lay members of the Buddhist Japanese new religious movement Soka Gakkai in 1964. Since 2012, it has served in government as the junior coalitio ...
(CGP), while the opposition included the
Social Democratic Party
The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology.
Active parties
For ...
(SDPJ) and
Communist Party
A communist party is a political party that seeks to realize the socio-economic goals of communism. The term ''communist party'' was popularized by the title of ''The Manifesto of the Communist Party'' (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. A ...
(JCP), who cited the connotations both symbols had with the war era. The CPJ was further opposed for not allowing the issue to be decided by the public. Meanwhile, the
Democratic Party of Japan
The was a centristThe Democratic Party of Japan was widely described as centrist:
*
*
*
*
*
*
* to centre-left liberal or social-liberal political party in Japan from 1998 to 2016.
The party's origins lie in the previous Democratic Part ...
(DPJ) could not develop party consensus on it. DPJ President and future prime minister
Naoto Kan
is a Japanese politician who was Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) from June 2010 to September 2011. Kan was the first Prime Minister since the resignation of Junichiro Koizumi in 2006 to serve for m ...
stated that the DPJ must support the bill because the party already recognized both symbols as the symbols of Japan. Deputy Secretary General and future prime minister
Yukio Hatoyama
is a former Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 16 September 2009 to 8 June 2010. He was the first Prime Minister from the modern Democratic Party of Japan.
First elected to the House of Representatives in 1986, Hatoy ...
thought that this bill would cause further divisions among society and the public schools. Hatoyama voted for the bill while Kan voted against it.
Before the vote, there were calls for the bills to be separated at the Diet.
Waseda University professor Norihiro Kato stated that ''Kimigayo'' is a separate issue more complex than the ''Hinomaru'' flag. Attempts to designate only the ''Hinomaru'' as the national flag by the DPJ and other parties during the vote of the bill were rejected by the Diet. The House of Representatives passed the bill on 22 July 1999, by a 403 to 86 vote. The legislation was sent to the House of Councilors on 28 July and was passed on 9 August. It was enacted into law on 13 August.
On 8 August 2009, a photograph was taken at a DPJ rally for the
House of Representatives election showing a banner that was hanging from a ceiling. The banner was made of two ''Hinomaru'' flags cut and sewn together to form the shape of the DPJ logo. This infuriated the LDP and Prime Minister
Tarō Asō, saying this act was unforgivable. In response, DPJ President Yukio Hatoyama (who voted for the Law Regarding the National Flag and National Anthem)
said that the banner was not the ''Hinomaru'' and should not be regarded as such.
Design
![Flag of Japan](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/Flag_of_Japan.jpg)
Passed in 1870, the Prime Minister's Proclamation No. 57 had two provisions related to the national flag. The first provision specified who flew the flag and how it was flown; the second specified how the flag was made.
The ratio was seven units width and ten units length (7:10). The red disc, which represents the sun, was calculated to be three-fifths of the
hoist width. The law decreed the disc to be in the center, but it was usually placed one-hundredth () towards the hoist. (this makes the disc appear centered when the flag is flying; this technique is used in other flags, such as the
Flag of Bangladesh
The national flag, national flag of Bangladesh, was adopted officially on 17 January 1972. It consists of a red disc or sun on top of a dark green banner. The red disc is offset slightly toward the hoist so that it appears centered when the flag i ...
). On 3 October of the same year, regulations about the design of the merchant ensign and other naval flags were passed.
For the merchant flag, the ratio was two units width and three units length (2:3). The size of the disc remained the same, but the sun disc was placed one-twentieth () towards the hoist.
![Construction sheet of the Japanese flag EN](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/Construction_sheet_of_the_Japanese_flag_EN.svg)
When the ''
Law Regarding the National Flag and National Anthem'' passed, the dimensions of the flag were slightly altered.
The overall ratio of the flag was changed to two units width by three units length (2:3). The red disc was shifted towards the center, but the overall size of the disc stayed the same.
The background of the flag is white and the center is a , but the exact color shades were not defined in the 1999 law.
The only hint given about the red colour is that it is a "deep" shade.
Issued by the Japan Defense Agency (now the
Ministry of Defense) in 1973 (
Showa 48), specifications list the red color of the flag as 5R 4/12 and the white as N9 in the
Munsell color
In colorimetry, the Munsell color system is a color space that specifies colors based on three properties of color: hue (basic color), chroma (color intensity), and value ( lightness). It was created by Professor Albert H. Munsell in the first ...
chart.
The document was changed on 21 March 2008 (
Heisei 20) to match the flag's construction with current legislation and updated the Munsell colours. The document lists
acrylic fiber and
nylon
Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers composed of polyamides ( repeating units linked by amide links).The polyamides may be aliphatic or semi-aromatic.
Nylon is a silk-like thermoplastic, generally made from petro ...
as fibers that could be used in construction of flags used by the military. For acrylic, the red color is 5.7R 3.7/15.5 and white is N9.4; nylon has 6.2R 4/15.2 for red and N9.2 for white.
In a document issued by the
Official Development Assistance
Official development assistance (ODA) is a category used by the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the OECD, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to measure aid, foreign aid. The DAC first adopted the concept in ...
(ODA), the red color for the ''Hinomaru'' and the ODA logo is listed as
DIC 156 and
CMYK
The CMYK color model (also known as process color, or four color) is a subtractive color model, based on the CMY color model, used in color printing, and is also used to describe the printing process itself. The abbreviation ''CMYK'' refers ...
0-100-90-0.
During deliberations about the ''Law Regarding the National Flag and National Anthem'', there was a suggestion to either use a shade or use one from the color pool of the
Japanese Industrial Standards
are the standards used for industrial activities in Japan, coordinated by the Japanese Industrial Standards Committee (JISC) and published by the Japanese Standards Association (JSA). The JISC is composed of many nationwide committees and plays ...
.
Colour chart
Use and customs
When the ''Hinomaru'' was first introduced, the government required citizens to greet the Emperor with the flag. There was some resentment among the Japanese over the flag, resulting in some protests. It took some time for the flag to gain acceptance among the people.
Before World War II, all homes were required to display ''Hinomaru'' on national holidays.
Since the war, the display of the flag of Japan is mostly limited to buildings attached to national and local governments such as city halls; it is rarely seen at private homes or commercial buildings,
but some people and companies have advocated displaying the flag on holidays. Although the government of Japan encourages citizens and residents to fly the ''Hinomaru'' during national holidays, they are not legally required to do so. Since
the Emperor's 80th Birthday on 23 December 2002, the
Kyushu Railway Company
The , also referred to as , is one of the seven constituent companies of Japan Railways Group (JR Group). It operates intercity rail services within Kyushu, Japan and the JR Kyushu Jet Ferry Beetle hydrofoil service across the Tsushima Strait ...
has displayed the ''Hinomaru'' at 330 stations.
Starting in 1995, the ODA has used the ''Hinomaru'' motif in their official logo. The design itself was not created by the government (the logo was chosen from 5,000 designs submitted by the public) but the government was trying to increase the visualization of the ''Hinomaru'' through their aid packages and development programs. According to the ODA, the use of the flag is the most effective way to symbolise aid provided by the Japanese people.
Hinomaru Yosegaki
![Signed Hinomaru flag of Eihachi Yamaguchi](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b9/Signed_Hinomaru_flag_of_Eihachi_Yamaguchi.JPG)
During World War II in Japanese culture, it was a popular custom for friends, classmates, and relatives of a deploying soldier to sign a ''Hinomaru'' and present it to him. The flag was also used as a good luck charm and a prayer to wish the soldier back safely from battle. One term for this kind of charm is .
One tradition is that no writing should touch the sun disc.
After battles, these flags were often captured or later found on deceased Japanese soldiers. Some of these flags have become souvenirs,
and some are being returned to Japan and the descendants of the deceased.
In modern times, the "Hinomaru Yosegaki" is still being used. The tradition of signing the ''Hinomaru'' as a good luck charm still continues, though in a limited fashion. The ''Hinomaru Yosegaki'' is shown at sporting events to give support to the Japanese national team. The Yosegaki (group effort flag, 寄せ書き) is used for campaigning soldiers,
athletes, retirees, transfer students in a community and for friends. The colored paper and flag has writing with a message. In modern Japan, it is given as a present to a person at a send-off party, for athletes, a farewell party for colleagues or transfer students, for graduation and retirement. After natural disasters such as the
2011 Tōhoku Earthquake and tsunami
The occurred at 14:46 JST (05:46 UTC) on 11 March. The magnitude 9.0–9.1 (M) undersea megathrust earthquake had an epicenter in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region, and lasted approximately six minutes ...
people write notes on a Hinomaru Yosegaki to show support.
Hachimaki
![Kobayashi Takeru, Japanese competitive eater 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Kobayashi_Takeru_competitive_eater_with_hachimaki.jpg)
The is a white
headband (
bandana
A kerchief (from the Old French ''couvrechief'', "cover head"), also known as a bandana, bandanna, or "Wild Rag" (in cowboy culture), is a triangular or square piece of cloth tied around the head, face or neck for protective or decorative purpos ...
) with the red sun in the middle. Phrases are usually written on it. It is worn as a symbol of
perseverance, effort, and/or
courage
Courage (also called bravery or valor) is the choice and willingness to confront agony, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation. Valor is courage or bravery, especially in battle.
Physical courage is bravery in the face of physical pain, h ...
by the wearer. These are worn on many occasions by for example sports spectators, women giving birth, students in
cram school
A cram school, informally called crammer and colloquially also referred to as test-prep or exam factory, is a specialized school that trains its students to achieve particular goals, most commonly to pass the entrance examinations of high schoo ...
, office workers, tradesmen taking pride in their work etc. During World War II, the phrases or "Seven Lives" was written on the ''hachimaki'' and worn by
kamikaze
, officially , were a part of the Japanese Special Attack Units of military aviators who flew suicide attacks for the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, intending to d ...
pilots. This denoted that the pilot was willing to die for his country.
Hinomaru Bentō
![Hinomaru_bento_20141027](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Hinomaru_bento_20141027.jpg)
A
bentō and
makunouchi
is a popular type of Japanese bento which consists of mostly rice along with fish, meat, pickles, eggs, vegetables, and an umeboshi (a salt pickled plum). There are also other kinds of food such as a chestnut-rice, sweetfish sushi, and meat-a ...
are types of Japanese lunch boxes. It can have . It consists of
gohan (steamed white rice) with a red
umeboshi (dried
ume
''Prunus mume'' is an East Asian and Southeast Asian tree species classified in the ''Armeniaca'' section of the genus ''Prunus'' subgenus ''Prunus''. Its common names include Chinese plum, Japanese plum, and Japanese apricot. The flower, long ...
) in the center which represents the sun and the flag of Japan. A only has white rice and a red
umeboshi in the center. The salty, vinegar soaked umeboshi acts as a preservative for the rice. There are also hinomaru rice bowls which are less common.
Crustaceans with the Hinomaru
![Alpheus_soror_2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/Alpheus_soror_2.JPG)
There are multiple crustaceans with the hinomaru (circle of the sun) shape. Such as the (
Astacidea), (
Caridea) and the (
Anomura). The
Caridea Alpheus shrimp has an abdominal segment with a type of Japanese flag-shaped crest.
Culture and perception
According to polls conducted by mainstream media, most Japanese people had perceived the flag of Japan as the national flag even before the passage of the ''
Law Regarding the National Flag and National Anthem'' in 1999.
Despite this, controversies surrounding the use of the flag in school events or media still remain. For example, liberal newspapers such as ''
Asahi Shimbun'' and ''
Mainichi Shimbun
The is one of the major newspapers in Japan, published by
In addition to the ''Mainichi Shimbun'', which is printed twice a day in several local editions, Mainichi also operates an English language news website called ''The Mainichi'' (previ ...
'' often feature articles critical of the flag of Japan, reflecting their readerships' political spectrum.
To other Japanese, the flag represents the time where democracy was suppressed when
Japan was an empire.
The display of the national flag at homes and businesses is also debated in Japanese society. Because of its association with
uyoku dantai (right wing) activists,
reactionary politics
In political science, a reactionary or a reactionist is a person who holds political views that favor a return to the ''status quo ante'', the previous political state of society, which that person believes possessed positive characteristics abse ...
, or
hooliganism
Hooliganism is disruptive or unlawful behavior such as rioting, bullying and vandalism, usually in connection with crowds at sporting events.
Etymology
There are several theories regarding the origin of the word ''hooliganism,'' which is a d ...
, most homes and businesses do not fly the flag.
There is no requirement to fly the flag on any national holiday or special events. The town of
Kanazawa, Ishikawa
is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 466,029 in 203,271 households, and a population density of 990 persons per km2. The total area of the city was .
Overview Cityscape
...
, has proposed plans in September 2012 to use government funds to buy flags with the purpose of encouraging citizens to fly the flag on national holidays. The
Japanese Communist Party
The is a left-wing to far-left political party in Japan. With approximately 270,000 members belonging to 18,000 branches, it is one of the largest non-governing communist parties in the world.
The party advocates the establishment of a democr ...
is vocally against the flag.
Negative perceptions of the national flag exist in former colonies of Japan as well as within Japan itself, such as in
Okinawa
is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi).
Naha is the capital and largest city ...
. In one notable example of this, on 26 October 1987, an Okinawan supermarket owner
burned
Burned or burnt may refer to:
* Anything which has undergone combustion
* Burned (image), quality of an image transformed with loss of detail in all portions lighter than some limit, and/or those darker than some limit
* ''Burnt'' (film), a 2015 ...
the flag before the start of the
National Sports Festival of Japan.
The flag burner, Shōichi Chibana, burned the ''Hinomaru'' not only to show opposition to atrocities committed by the Japanese army and the continued presence of U.S. forces but also to prevent it from being displayed in public. Other incidents in Okinawa included the flag being torn down during school ceremonies and students refusing to honor the flag as it was being raised to the sounds of "
Kimigayo
is the national anthem of Japan. The lyrics are from a ' poem written by an unnamed author in the Heian period (794–1185), and the current melody was chosen in 1880, replacing an unpopular melody composed by John William Fenton eleven years e ...
".
In the capital city of
Naha, Okinawa
is the capital city of Okinawa Prefecture, the southernmost prefecture of Japan. As of 1 June 2019, the city has an estimated population of 317,405 and a population density of 7,939 persons per km2 (20,562 persons per sq. mi.). The total area is ...
, the ''Hinomaru'' was raised for the first time since the return of Okinawa to Japan to celebrate the city's 80th anniversary in 2001. In the
People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
and
Republic of Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its east ...
, both of which had been occupied by the Empire of Japan, the 1999 formal adoption of the ''Hinomaru'' was met with reactions of Japan moving towards the right and also a step towards re-militarization. The passage of the 1999 law also coincided with the debates about the status of the
Yasukuni Shrine
is a Shinto shrine located in Chiyoda, Tokyo. It was founded by Emperor Meiji in June 1869 and commemorates those who died in service of Empire of Japan, Japan, from the Boshin War of 1868–1869, to the two Sino-Japanese Wars, First Sino-Japane ...
, U.S.-Japan military cooperation, and the creation of a missile defense program. In other nations that Japan occupied, the 1999 law was met with mixed reactions or glossed over. In Singapore, the older generation still harbors ill feelings toward the flag while the younger generation does not hold similar views. The Philippine government not only believed that Japan was not going to revert to militarism, but the goal of the 1999 law was to formally establish two symbols (the flag and anthem) in law and every state has a right to create national symbols. Japan has no law criminalizing the burning of the ''Hinomaru'', but foreign flags cannot be burned in Japan.
Protocol
![Japan mourning flag](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/Japan_mourning_flag.svg)
According to protocol, the flag may fly from sunrise until sunset; businesses and schools are permitted to fly the flag from opening to closing.
When flying the flags of Japan and another country at the same time in Japan, the Japanese flag takes the position of honor and the flag of the guest country flies to its right. Both flags must be at the same height and of equal size. When more than one foreign flag is displayed, Japan's flag is arranged in the alphabetical order prescribed by the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
. When the flag becomes unsuitable to use, it is customarily burned in private.
The ''Law Regarding the National Flag and Anthem'' does not specify on how the flag should be used, but different prefectures came up with their own regulations to use the ''Hinomaru'' and other prefectural flags.
Mourning
The ''Hinomaru'' flag has at least two mourning styles. One is to display the flag at , as is common in many countries. The offices of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entit ...
also hoist the flag at half-staff when a funeral is performed for a foreign nation's head of state.
An alternative mourning style is to wrap the spherical
finial
A finial (from '' la, finis'', end) or hip-knob is an element marking the top or end of some object, often formed to be a decorative feature.
In architecture, it is a small decorative device, employed to emphasize the Apex (geometry), apex of a d ...
with black cloth and place a black ribbon, known as a , above the flag. This style dates back to the death of
Emperor Meiji
, also called or , was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession. Reigning from 13 February 1867 to his death, he was the first monarch of the Empire of Japan and presided over the Meiji era. He was the figur ...
on 30 July 1912, and the Cabinet issued an ordinance stipulating that the national flag should be raised in mourning when the Emperor dies. The Cabinet has the authority to announce the half-staffing of the national flag.
Public schools
![Graduation day stage (crop)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Graduation_day_stage_%28crop%29.jpg)
Since the end of World War II, the
Ministry of Education has issued statements and regulations to promote the usage of both the ''Hinomaru'' and ''
Kimigayo
is the national anthem of Japan. The lyrics are from a ' poem written by an unnamed author in the Heian period (794–1185), and the current melody was chosen in 1880, replacing an unpopular melody composed by John William Fenton eleven years e ...
'' (national anthem) at schools under their jurisdiction. The first of these statements was released in 1950, stating that it was desirable, but not required, to use both symbols. This desire was later expanded to include both symbols on national holidays and during ceremonial events to encourage students on what national holidays are and to promote defense education.
In a 1989 reform of the education guidelines, the LDP-controlled government first demanded that the flag must be used in school ceremonies and that proper respect must be given to it and to ''Kimigayo''. Punishments for school officials who did not follow this order were also enacted with the 1989 reforms.
The 1999
curriculum guideline
is a standard issued by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology(MEXT) that specifies materials taught at all of elementary, junior and senior high schools in Japan, either public or private. The authority of the minis ...
issued by the Ministry of Education after the passage of the ''Law Regarding the National Flag and Anthem'' decrees that "on entrance and graduation ceremonies, schools must raise the flag of Japan and instruct students to sing the ''Kimigayo'', given the significance of the flag and the song." Additionally, the ministry's commentary on the 1999 curriculum guideline for elementary schools note that "given the advance of internationalization, along with fostering patriotism and awareness of being Japanese, it is important to nurture school children's respectful attitude toward the flag of Japan and ''Kimigayo'' as they grow up to be respected Japanese citizens in an internationalized society."
The ministry also stated that if Japanese students cannot respect their own symbols, then they will not be able to respect the symbols of other nations.
Schools have been the center of controversy over both the anthem and the national flag.
The Tokyo Board of Education requires the use of both the anthem and flag at events under their jurisdiction. The order requires school teachers to respect both symbols or risk losing their jobs.
Some have protested that such rules violate the
Constitution of Japan
The Constitution of Japan (Shinjitai: , Kyūjitai: , Hepburn: ) is the constitution of Japan and the supreme law in the state. Written primarily by American civilian officials working under the Allied occupation of Japan, the constitution r ...
, but the Board has argued that since schools are government agencies, their employees have an obligation to teach their students how to be good Japanese citizens.
As a sign of protest, schools refused to display the ''Hinomaru'' at school graduations and some parents ripped down the flag.
Teachers have unsuccessfully brought criminal complaints against Tokyo Governor
Shintarō Ishihara
was a Japanese politician and writer who was Governor of Tokyo from 1999 to 2012. Being the former leader of the radical right Japan Restoration Party, he was one of the most prominent ultranationalists in modern Japanese politics. An ultranat ...
and senior officials for ordering teachers to honor the ''Hinomaru'' and ''Kimigayo''.
After earlier opposition, the
Japan Teachers Union
, abbreviated , is Japan's largest and oldest labor union of teachers and school staff. The union is known for its critical stance against the conservative Liberal Democratic Party government on such issues as ''Kimigayo'' (the national anthem) ...
accepts the use of both the flag and anthem; the smaller All Japan Teachers and Staffs Union still opposes both symbols and their use inside the school system.
Related flags
Military flags
The
Japan Self-Defense Forces
The Japan Self-Defense Forces ( ja, 自衛隊, Jieitai; abbreviated JSDF), also informally known as the Japanese Armed Forces, are the unified ''de facto''Since Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution outlaws the formation of armed forces, the ...
(JSDF) and the
Japan Ground Self-Defense Force
The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force ( ja, 陸上自衛隊, Rikujō Jieitai), , also referred to as the Japanese Army, is the land warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Created on July 1, 1954, it is the largest of the three service b ...
use the Rising Sun Flag with eight red rays extending outward, called . A gold border is situated partially around the edge.
A well-known variant of the sun disc design is the sun disc with 16 red rays in a
Siemens star formation, which was also historically used by Japan's military, particularly the
Imperial Japanese Army
The was the official ground-based armed force of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945. It was controlled by the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office and the Ministry of the Army, both of which were nominally subordinate to the Emperor o ...
and the
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrender ...
. The ensign, known in Japanese as the , was first adopted as the
war flag
A war flag, also known as a military flag, battle flag, or standard, is a variant of a national flag for use by a country's military forces when on land. The nautical equivalent is a naval ensign. Under the strictest sense of the term, few countri ...
on 15 May 1870, and was used until the end of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
in 1945. It was re-adopted on 30 June 1954, and is now used as the war flag and naval ensign of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) and the
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
, abbreviated , also simply known as the Japanese Navy, is the maritime warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. The JMSDF was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) ...
(JMSDF).
JSDF
The Japan Self-Defense Forces ( ja, 自衛隊, Jieitai; abbreviated JSDF), also informally known as the Japanese Armed Forces, are the unified ''de facto''Since Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution outlaws the formation of armed forces, the ...
Chief of Staff
Katsutoshi Kawano
is a retired Japanese admiral who served as the 5th Chief of Staff, Joint Staff of the Japan Self-Defense Forces from 2014 to 2019, and was the longest-serving person in that position. Prior to his appointment, he was the Chief of Staff of the J ...
said the Rising Sun Flag is the Maritime Self-Defense Force sailors' "pride".
Due to its continued use by the Imperial Japanese Army, this flag carries the negative connotation similar to the Nazi flag in China and Korea.
These formerly colonised countries state that this flag is a symbol of Japanese imperialism during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, and is an ongoing conflict event for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The JMSDF also employs the use of a
masthead pennant. First adopted in 1914 and readopted in 1965, the masthead pennant contains a simplified version of the naval ensign at the hoist end, with the rest of the pennant colored white. The ratio of the pennant is between 1:40 and 1:90.
The
Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF), established independently in 1952, has only the plain sun disc as its emblem. This is the only branch of service with an emblem that does not invoke the rayed Imperial Standard. However, the branch does have an
ensign to fly on bases and during parades. The Japan Air Self-Defense Force flag was first adopted in 1955 after the JASDF was created in 1954. The flag is cobalt blue with a gold winged eagle on top of a combined star, the moon, the Hinomaru sun disc and clouds. The latest version of the JASDF flag was re-adopted on 19 March 2001.
Although not an official national flag, the
Z signal flag played a major role in Japanese naval history. On 27 May 1905, Admiral
Heihachirō Tōgō
Heihachirō (written: 平八郎) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include:
*, Japanese photographer
*, Japanese samurai
*, Imperial Japanese Navy admiral
{{DEFAULTSORT:Heihachiro
Japanese masculine given names
Mas ...
of the ''
Mikasa
Mikasa ( ja, 三笠) may refer to:
Businesses
* Mikasa Sports, a sporting goods manufacturer
* Mikasa & Company, a brand of tableware and food utensils
Places
* Mikasa, Hokkaido, Japan
* Mikasa Park, in Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan
* Mount Wakakusa ...
'' was preparing to engage the
Russian Baltic Fleet. Before the
Battle of Tsushima
The Battle of Tsushima (Japanese:対馬沖海戦, Tsushimaoki''-Kaisen'', russian: Цусимское сражение, ''Tsusimskoye srazheniye''), also known as the Battle of Tsushima Strait and the Naval Battle of Sea of Japan (Japanese: 日 ...
began, Togo raised the Z flag on the ''Mikasa'' and engaged the Russian fleet, winning the battle for Japan. The raising of the flag said to the crew the following: "The fate of Imperial Japan hangs on this one battle; all hands will exert themselves and do their best." The Z flag was also raised on the aircraft carrier ''
Akagi'' on the eve of Japan's attack on
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Re ...
,
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
, in December 1941.
File:War flag of the Imperial Japanese Army (1868-1945).svg, Pre-WWII Rising Sun Flag, War flag of the Imperial Japanese Army
The was the official ground-based armed force of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945. It was controlled by the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office and the Ministry of the Army, both of which were nominally subordinate to the Emperor o ...
(1868–1945)
File:Naval ensign of the Empire of Japan.svg, Pre-WWII flag of the Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrender ...
(1889–1945)
File:Flag of JSDF.svg, Post WWII flag of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force
The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force ( ja, 陸上自衛隊, Rikujō Jieitai), , also referred to as the Japanese Army, is the land warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Created on July 1, 1954, it is the largest of the three service b ...
File:Naval Ensign of Japan.svg, Post WWII flag of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
, abbreviated , also simply known as the Japanese Navy, is the maritime warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. The JMSDF was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) ...
(1954–present)
File:Flag of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.svg, Post WWII flag of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF)
File:Roundel of Japan (1943).svg, Pre-WWII roundel (military aircraft insignia) of Navy and Army military aircraft
File:Roundel of Japan.svg, Post WWII roundel of the JASDF
Imperial flags
![Flag of the Japanese Emperor](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/Flag_of_the_Japanese_Emperor.svg)
Starting in 1870, flags were created for the Japanese Emperor (then
Emperor Meiji
, also called or , was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession. Reigning from 13 February 1867 to his death, he was the first monarch of the Empire of Japan and presided over the Meiji era. He was the figur ...
), the Empress, and other members of the imperial family.
At first, the Emperor's flag was ornate, with a sun resting in the center of an artistic pattern. He had flags that were used on land, at sea, and when he was in a carriage. The imperial family was also granted flags to be used at sea and while on land (one for use on foot and one carriage flag). The carriage flags were a monocolored chrysanthemum, with 16 petals, placed in the center of a monocolored background.
These flags were discarded in 1889 when the Emperor decided to use the chrysanthemum on a red background as his flag. With minor changes in the color shades and proportions, the flags adopted in 1889 are still in use by the imperial family.
The current Emperor's flag is a 16-petal chrysanthemum (called Kikkamon, Japanese:菊花紋), colored in gold, centered on a red background with a 2:3 ratio. The Empress uses the same flag, except the shape is that of a swallow tail. The crown prince and the crown princess use the same flags, except with a smaller chrysanthemum and a white border in the middle of the flags.
The chrysanthemum has been associated with the Imperial throne since the rule of Emperor Go-Toba in the 12th century, but it did not become the exclusive Imperial Seal of Japan, symbol of the Imperial throne until 1868.
Subnational flags
![Japanese flags in Okinawa](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Japanese_flags_in_Okinawa.jpg)
Each of the Prefectures of Japan, 47 prefectures of Japan has its Flags of Japanese prefectures, own flag which, like the national flag, consists of a symbol – called a ''
mon
Mon, MON or Mon. may refer to:
Places
* Mon State, a subdivision of Myanmar
* Mon, India, a town in Nagaland
* Mon district, Nagaland
* Mon, Raebareli, a village in Uttar Pradesh, India
* Mon, Switzerland, a village in the Canton of Grisons
* An ...
'' – charged upon a monocolored field (except for Ehime Prefecture, where the background is bicolored). There are several prefecture flags, such as Hiroshima's, that match their specifications to the national flag (2:3 ratio, ''mon'' placed in the center and is the length of the flag). Some of the ''mon'' display the name of the prefecture in Japanese writing system, Japanese characters; others are stylized depictions of the location or another special feature of the prefecture. An example of a prefectural flag is that of Nagano Prefecture, Nagano, where the orange ''katakana'' character ナ (''na'') appears in the center of a white disc. One interpretation of the ''mon'' is that the ''na'' symbol represents a mountain and the white disc, a lake. The orange color represents the sun while the white color represents the snow of the region.
Municipalities of Japan, Municipalities can also adopt flags of their own. The designs of the city flags are similar to the prefectural flags: a ''mon'' on a monocolored background. An example is the flag of Amakusa, Kumamoto, Amakusa in Kumamoto Prefecture: the city symbol is composed of the Katakana character ア (''a'') and surrounded by waves. This symbol is centered on a white flag, with a ratio of 2:3.
Both the city emblem and the flag were adopted in 2006.
Derivatives
![Flag of Evenks](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/Flag_of_Evenks.svg)
In addition to the flags used by the military, several other flag designs were inspired by the national flag. The former Japan Post flag consisted of the ''Hinomaru'' with a red horizontal bar placed in the center of the flag. There was also a thin white ring around the red sun. It was later replaced by a flag that consisted of the Japan postal mark, 〒 postal mark in red on a white background.
Two recently designed national flags resemble the Japanese flag. In 1971, Bangladesh gained independence from Pakistan, and Flag of Bangladesh, it adopted a national flag that had a green background, charged with an off-centered red disc that contained a golden map of Bangladesh. The current flag, adopted in 1972, dropped the golden map and kept everything else. The Government of Bangladesh officially calls the red disc a circle; the red color symbolizes the blood that was shed to create their country.
The island nation of Palau uses a flag of similar design, but the color scheme is completely different. While the Government of Palau does not cite the Japanese flag as an influence on their national flag, Japan did administer Palau from 1914 until 1944. The flag of Palau is an off-centered golden-yellow full moon on a sky blue background. The moon stands for peace and a young nation while the blue background represents Palau's transition to self-government from 1981 to 1994, when it achieved full independence.
The Japanese naval ensign also influenced other flag designs. One such flag design is used by the ''
Asahi Shimbun''. At the bottom hoist of the flag, one quarter of the sun is displayed. The kanji character :wiktionary:朝, 朝 is displayed on the flag, colored white, covering most of the sun. The rays extend from the sun, occurring in a red and white alternating order, culminating in 13 total stripes. The flag is commonly seen at the Japanese High School Baseball Championship, National High School Baseball Championship, as the ''Asahi Shimbun'' is a main sponsor of the tournament. The rank flags and ensigns of the Imperial Japanese Navy also based their designs on the naval ensign.
Gallery
File:National flag of Japan at Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery 20141030.jpg, Japanese flag at the Meiji Memorial.
File:Vice President Pence's Trip to Asia (39425260534).jpg, Japan Self-Defense Forces
The Japan Self-Defense Forces ( ja, 自衛隊, Jieitai; abbreviated JSDF), also informally known as the Japanese Armed Forces, are the unified ''de facto''Since Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution outlaws the formation of armed forces, the ...
honor guards holding the national flag during Mike Pence's visit.
File:G7 flags, Toronto.jpg, Flags of Japan and other G7 states flying in Toronto.
File:Undokai-schoolgates-may2012.jpg, A series of Japanese flags in a school entrance.
File:Yokohama harbor.jpg, Yokohama City (left) and the Hinomaru (center) flying on Yokohama Harbor.
File:2013 Tokyo Fire Department Dezome Ceremony 01.JPG, Firefighters in Tokyo holding the Japanese national flag during a ceremony.
File:Hinomaru estadio.jpg, Large flags of Japan at the Tokyo Olympic Stadium during the final match of the East Asian Football Championship.(14 February 2010)
File:Totenko-Rooster Crows with hinomaru and lady by Takeuchi Keishu 1909 MET DP143126.jpg, Totenko-Rooster Crows with hinomaru and lady, 1909
See also
* List of Japanese flags
* National symbols of Japan
* Nobori
* Sashimono
* Uma-jirushi
References
Footnotes
Notes
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External links
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Flag protocol
{{DEFAULTSORT:Flag Of Japan
1870 establishments in Japan
1999 establishments in Japan
Empire of Japan
Flags introduced in 1870, Japan
Flags introduced in 1999, Japan
Flags of Japan,
National flags, Japan
National symbols of Japan
Postwar Japan
Red and white flags, Japan