This is a list of Japanese flags, past and present. Historically, each ''

daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and nominall ...

'' had his own flag. ''(See sashimono and uma-jirushi.)''

National flags

Imperial flags

Governmental flags

Military flags

Self-Defense Force and Imperial Army/Navy

Japan Coast Guard

Historical flags

Daimyō Banners present in old paintings

File:Ankokuji Ekei Banner and Battle Standard.jpg, Ankokuji Ekei File:Ankokuji Ekei Large Battle Standards.jpg, Ankokuji Ekei File:Arima Naozumi Battle Standard; Mizuno Katsunari Banner.jpg, Arima Naozumi File:Arima Noriyari Battle Standard; So Yoshinari Banner.jpg, Arima Noriyari File:Arima Toyouji Battle Standard; Arima Hyobusho (possibly Arima Yasazumi) Battle Standard.jpg, Arima Toyōji File:Arima Toyouji Large Battle Standards.jpg, Arima Toyōji File:Chosokabe Morichika Banner and Battle Standard.jpg,

Chōsokabe Morichika was a Japanese samurai of the Azuchi–Momoyama period through early Edo period. Once the ruler of Tosa Province, his fief was revoked by Tokugawa Ieyasu after the Battle of Sekigahara. His childhood name was Sen'yumaru (千熊丸). Biography ...

File:Chosokabe Morichika Banner; Natsuka Masaie (1562?-1600) Banner.jpg,

File:Date Hidemune Banner and Battle Standard.jpg,

Date Hidemune was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the early Edo period. He was the eldest son of Date Masamune, born in 1591 by Shinzo no Kata (a concubine). Coming of age while living with Toyotomi Hideyoshi, he received a character from Hideyoshi's name and took ...

File:Date Masamune Battle Standard; Shimazu Matsuhisa (1616-1695) Banner.jpg,

Date Masamune was a regional ruler of Japan's Azuchi–Momoyama period through early Edo period. Heir to a long line of powerful ''daimyō'' in the Tōhoku region, he went on to found the modern-day city of Sendai. An outstanding tactician, he was made ...

File:Nabeshima Tadanao Battle Standard; Date Masamune (1567-1636) Large Battle Standard.jpg,

File:Date Masamune's hatajirushi.jpg,

File:Doi Toshikatsu (1573-1644) Large Battle STandards.jpg,

Doi Toshikatsu was a top-ranking official in Japan's Tokugawa shogunate during its early decades, and one of the chief advisors to the second Tokugawa shōgun, Hidetada. The adopted son of Doi Toshimasa, Toshikatsu is generally believed to be the biological ...

File:Doi Toshikatsu Large Battle Standards.jpg,

File:Hachisuka Iemasa Battle Standard; Matsudiara Mitsunaga (1616-1707) Banner.jpg, Hachisuka Iemasa File:Hayashi Katsumasa Personal Standard; Terazawa Katasaka (1609-1647) Banner.jpg, Hayashi Katsumasa File:Honda Masatomo Battle Standard; Mori Nagatsugu (1610-1698) Banner.jpg, Honda Masatomo File:Hori Naoyori Battle Standards.jpg, Hori Naoyori File:Hoshina Masayuki (1611-1673) Banner and Large Battle Standard.jpg,

Hoshina Masayuki was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the early Edo period, who was the founder of what became the Matsudaira house of Aizu. He was an important figure in the politics and philosophy of the early Tokugawa shogunate. Biography Hoshina Masayuki was born ...

File:Hoshina Masayuki Battle Standard; Arima Toyouji (1569-1642) Banner.jpg,

File:Hosokawa Mitsunao (1619-1650) Battle Standard; Baba Toshishige (?-1657) Personal Standard.jpg,

Hosokawa Mitsunao was a Japanese '' daimyō'' of the early Edo period. His childhood name was Rokumaru (六丸). Family * Father: Hosokawa Tadatoshi * Mother: Chiyohime (1597–1649) * Wife: Shojōin, daughter of Karasuma Mitsukata * Concubines: ** Seitai-in ** ...

File:Hosokawa Tadaoki Large Battle Standards.jpg, Hosokawa Tadaoki File:Hosokawa Tadatoshi Banner and Battle Standard.jpg, Hosokawa Tadatoshi File:Ii Naotaka Battle Standard; Uesugi Kagekatsu (1555-1623) Banner.jpg,

Ii Naotaka was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the early Edo period who served under the Tokugawa shogunate. He was the son of the famous Tokugawa general Ii Naomasa. His childhood name was Bennosuke (弁之介). Naotaka served in the Siege of Osaka in his brot ...

File:Ikeda Mitsumasa Battle Standard; Ii Naotaka (1590-1659) Banner.jpg, Ikeda Mitsumasa File:Ikoma Takatoshi (1611-1659) Banner and Battle Standard.jpg, Ikoma Takatoshi File:Inoue Masatsugu (1602-1650) Personal Standard; Itakura Shigemasa (1588-1638) Battle Standard.jpg, Inoue Masatsugu File:Ishida Mitsunari (1560-1600) Banner and Battle Standard.jpg,

Ishida Mitsunari Ishida Mitsunari (, 1559 – November 6, 1600) was a Japanese samurai and military commander of the late Sengoku period of Japan. He is probably best remembered as the commander of the Western army in the Battle of Sekigahara following the ...

File:Ishida Mitsunari Battle standard; Shimazu Yoshihiro (1535-1619) Pendant.jpg,

File:Kato Akinari Battle Standard; Mori Hidenari (1595-1651) Banner.jpg, Katō Akinari File:Kato Kiyomasa (1562-1611) Banner and Battle Standard.jpg, Katō Kiyomasa File:Kawajiri Hidetaka (1527-1582) Battle Standard; Sassa Narimasa (1536-1588) Battle Standard.jpg, Kawajiri Hidetaka File:Kikkawa Hiroie Battle Standard and Personal Standard.jpg,

Kikkawa Hiroie (December 7, 1561 – October 22, 1626) was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Azuchi–Momoyama period through early Edo period. Hiroie's father was Kikkawa Motoharu and his mother was a daughter of Kumagai Nobunao. Biography He initially w ...

File:Kikkawa Hiroie Large Battle Standards.jpg,

File:Kobayakawa Hideaki Battle Standard; Ukita Hideie (1573-1655) Banner.jpg,

Kobayakawa Hideaki (1577 – December 1, 1602) was the fifth son of Kinoshita Iesada and the nephew of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. He was gained the rank of ''Saemon no Kami'' (左衛門督) or in China ''Shikkingo'' (執金吾) at genpuku and held the court title ...

File:Sekigahara-jin Banner; Kobayakawa Hideaki (1577-1602) Battle Standard.jpg,

File:Konishi Yukinaga (1555-1600) Battle Standard; Otani Yoshitsugu (1558-1600) Banner.jpg,

Konishi Yukinaga Konishi Yukinaga (小西行長, baptized under the personal name Agostinho (Portuguese for Augustine); 1558 – November 6, 1600) was a Kirishitan daimyō under Toyotomi Hideyoshi. He is notable for his role as the vanguard of the Japane ...

File:Kuroda (Matsudaira) Tadayuki (1602-1654).jpg, Kuroda Tadayuki File:Kuroda Tadayuki Battle Standard; Kato Akinari (1592-1661) Banner.jpg, Kuroda Tadayuki File:Kuroda Nagamasa Battle Standard; Kuroda Takamasa Battle Standard.jpg,

Kuroda Nagamasa was a ''daimyō'' during the late Azuchi–Momoyama and early Edo periods. He was the son of Kuroda Kanbei, Toyotomi Hideyoshi's chief strategist and adviser. Biography His childhood name was Shojumaru (松寿丸). In 1577, when Nagamasa was ...

File:Kyogoku Takatomo Battle Standard; Mori Hidemoto Large Battle Standard.jpg, Kyōgoku Takatomo File:Kyogoku Takatsugu (1563-1609) Banner and Battle Standard.jpg, Kyōgoku Takatsugu File:Makino Narizumi Personal Standard; Matsukura Katsuie (1597-1638) Banner.jpg, Makino Narizumi File:Matsudaira (Ikeda) Tadakatsu (1602-1632) Banner and Battle Standard.jpg, Matsudaira Tadakatsu File:Matsudaira Chikatoki Large Battle Standards.jpg, Matsudaira Chikatoki File:Matsudaira Mitsunaga Large Battle Standards.jpg, Matsudaira Mitsunaga File:Matsudaira Naomasa Battle Standards.jpg, Matsudaira Naomasa File:Matsudaira Naonori Battle Standards.jpg, Matsudaira Naonori File:Matsudaira Nobutsuna Banner and Battle Standard.jpg, Matsudaira Nobutsuna File:Matsudaira Nobutsuna Battle Standard; Matsudaira Terutsuna (1620-1672) Battle Standard.jpg, Matsudaira Nobutsuna File:Matsudaira Shigenao (1601-1643) Battle Standard; Arima Naozumi (1586-1641) Banner.jpg, Matsudaira Shigenao File:Matsudaira Tadaaki (1583-1644) Banner and Battle Standard.jpg, Matsudaira Tadaaki File:Matsudaira Tadaaki Battle Standard; Matsudaira Naonori (1642-1695) Banner.jpg, Matsudaira Tadaaki File:Matsudaira Tadamasa (1598-1645) Banner and Battle Standard.jpg,

Matsudaira Tadamasa was an early to mid-Edo period Japanese samurai, and ''daimyō''. Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003)"Matsudaira" at ''Nobiliare du Japon'', p. 30 retrieved 2013-4-9. ...

File:Matsudaira Tadamasa Battle Standard; Kuroda (Matsudaira) Tadayuki Banner.jpg,

File:Matsudaira Terusada (1655-1747) Banner and Battle Standard.jpg, Matsudaira Terusada File:Matsukura Katsuie Battle Standard; Matsukura Ukon Battle Standard.jpg, Matsukura Katsuie File:Mizuno Katsunari Banner and Battle Standard.jpg, Mizuno Katsunari File:Mizuno Katsunari Battle Standard; Inoue Masashige (1585-1661) Personal Standard.jpg, Mizuno Katsunari File:Mori Hidemoto Large Battle Standards.jpg, Mōri Hidemoto File:Mori Hidenari Battle Standard; Nabeshima Katsushige (1580-1657) Banner.jpg, Mōri Hidenari File:Mori Nagatsugu Battle Standard; Matsudaira Naomasa (1601-1666) Banner.jpg, Mori Nagatsugu File:Nabeshima Katsushige Battle Standard; Naveshima Naozumi Battle Standard.jpg,

Nabeshima Katsushige (December 4, 1580 – May 7, 1657) was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the early Edo period. Born to Nabeshima Naoshige, he became lord of Saga-''han''. Biography Katsushige was born in Saga, the son of Nabeshima Naoshige. At the time, Naoshige was a ...

File:Nabeshima Katsushige Large Battle Standards.jpg,

File:Nabeshima Motoshige (1602-1654) Battle Standard; Sakakibara Motonao (1586-1648) Personal Standard.jpg, Nabeshima Motoshige File:Nabeshima Tadanao (1613-1635) Banner and Battle Standard.jpg, Nabeshima Tadanao File:Nabeshima Tadanao Battle Standard; Date Masamune (1567-1636) Large Battle Standard.jpg, Nabeshima Tadanao File:Nagai Naomasa Banner and Battle Standard.jpg,

Nagai Naomasa was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Edo period, who ruled the Uruido, Koga and Yodo Domains. The eldest son of Nagai Naokatsu, he fought at the Battle of Sekigahara and the siege of Osaka. During the Shimabara Rebellion he was assigned to defend K ...

File:Nanbu Shigenao Battle Standard; Kyogoku Takatomo Banner.jpg, Nanbu Shigenao File:Natsuka Masaie Battle Standard; Kikkawa Hiroie Banner.jpg,

Natsuka Masaie was a daimyō in the Azuchi-Momoyama period. He was served Niwa Nagahide and later Hideyoshi. He was one of the ''Go-Bugyō'', or ''five commissioners'', appointed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Biography He was born in Owari Province. Masaie serv ...

File:Natsuka Masaie Battle Standards.jpg,

File:Niwa Nagahide Banner and Large Battle Standard.jpg,

Niwa Nagahide , also known as Gorōzaemon (五郎左衛門), his other legal alias was Hashiba Echizen no Kami (羽柴越前守), was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku through Azuchi-Momoyama periods of the 16th century. He served as senior retainer to the ...

File:Niwa Nagahide Battle Standard; Hori Naoyori Banner.jpg,

File:Oda Nobunaga Banner and Battle Standard.jpg,

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 ...

File:Oda Nobunaga Battle Standard.jpg,

File:Oda Nobutaka (1558-1583) Battle Standard; Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598) Banner.jpg, Oda Nobutaka File:Ogasawara Governor of Inaba Battle Standard; Ogasa Nagatsugu Battle Standard.jpg, Ogasawara Nagatsugu File:Ogasawara Tadazane (1596-1667) Banner and Battle Standard.jpg, Ogasawara Tadazane File:Ogasawara Tadazane Banner and Battle Standard.jpg, Ogasawara Tadazane File:Ogasawara Tadazane Battle Standard; Matsudaira Chitoki (1659-1702).jpg, Ogasawara Tadazane File:Okudaira Iemasa (1577-1614) Banner and Battle Standard.jpg, Okudaira Iemasa File:Okudaira Iemasa Battle Standard; Tachibana Muneshige (1567-1643) Banner.jpg, Okudaira Iemasa File:Otani Yoshitsugu Battle standard; Hiratsuka Tamehiro (?-1600) Battle standard.jpg, Ōtani Yoshitsugu File:Sakai Ietsugu (1564-1618) Banner and Battle Standard.jpg, Sakai Ietsugu File:Sakai Ietsugu Battle Standard; Sakai Tadakatsu (1587-1662) Banner.jpg, Sakai Ietsugu File:Sakai Tadakatsu Battle Standard; Doi Toshikatsu (1573-1644) Banner.jpg, Sakai Tadakatsu File:Sakai Tadakiyo Battle Standards.jpg, Sakai Tadakiyo File:Sakikibara Motonao Personal Standard; Arima Toyouji (1569-1642) Banner.jpg, Sakikibara Motonao File:Satake Yoshinobu (1570-1633) Banner and Large Battle Standard.jpg,

Satake Yoshinobu was a '' daimyō'' in Sengoku period and early Edo period Japan under the Tokugawa shogunate and the 19th head of the Satake clan and 1st ''daimyō'' of Kubota Domain in Dewa Province. His courtesy title was '' Sakonoeshōshō'', later '' ...

File:Satake Yoshinobu Battle Standard; Honda Masatomo (1599-1638) Banner.jpg,

File:Shibata Katusuie (1522-1583) Battle standard; Takigawa Kazumasa (1526-1586) Battle Standard.jpg,

Shibata Katsuie or was a Japanese samurai and military commander during the Sengoku period. He served Oda Nobunaga as one of his trusted generals, was severely wounded in the 1571 first siege of Nagashima, but then fought in the 1575 Battle of Nagashino an ...

File:Shimazu Mitsuhisa Battle Standard; Hosokawa Tadaoki (1563-1646) Banner.jpg, Shimazu Mitsuhisa File:Shimazu Yoshihiro Large Battle Standards.jpg,

Shimazu Yoshihiro was the second son of Shimazu Takahisa and the younger brother of Shimazu Yoshihisa. Traditionally believed to be the 17th head of the Shimazu clan, he was a skilled general during the Sengoku period who greatly contributed to the unification ...

File:So Yoshinari Battle Standard.jpg,

Sō Yoshitoshi was a Sō clan ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the domain of Tsushima on Tsushima Island at the end of Japan's Sengoku period, and into the Edo period. His name is sometimes read as Yoshitomo.Papinot, Jacques. (2003)''Nobiliare du Japon'' -- Sō ...

File:Tachibana Muneshige Banner and Battle Standard.jpg, Tachibana Muneshige File:Tachibana Muneshige Battle Standard; Sakai Tadkiyo Banner.jpg, Tachibana Muneshige File:Tachibana Tadashige Battle Standard; Ishitani Sadakiyo Personal Standard.jpg, Tachibana Tadashige File:Terazawa Katataka Battle standard; Nabeshima Katsushige (1580-1657) Banner.jpg, Terazawa Katataka File:Toda Kazuaki Banner and Large Battle Standard.jpg, Toda Kazuaki File:Toda Kazuaki Battle Standard; Nanbu Shigenao Battle Standard.jpg, Toda Kazuaki File:Toda Ujikane Banner and Battle Standard.jpg,

Toda Ujikane was a Japanese ''daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate ...

File:Toda Ujinobu (1600-1681) Battle Standard; Toda Nagashige (1547-1651).jpg, Toda Ujinobu File:Todo Takatora (1556-1630) Banner and Large Battle Standard.jpg,

Tōdō Takatora was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of Tōdō clan from the Azuchi–Momoyama to Edo periods. He rose from relatively humble origins as an ashigaru (a light foot soldier) to become a ''daimyō''. Biography During his lifetime he changed his feudal ...

File:Todo Takatora Battle Standard; Ikeda Mitsumasa (1609-1682) Banner.jpg,

File:Tokugawa Hidetada (1579-1632) Banner and Battle Standard.jpg,

Tokugawa Hidetada was the second ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa dynasty, who ruled from 1605 until his abdication in 1623. He was the third son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate. Early life (1579–1593) Tokugawa Hidetada was bo ...

File:Tokugawa Hidetada Battle Standard; Tokugawa Yoshhinao (1601-1650) Banner.jpg,

File:Tokugawa leyasu (1543-1616) Banner and Battle Standard.jpg,

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 fello ...

File:Tokugawa Yorifusa Large Battle Standards.jpg, Tokugawa Yorifusa File:Tokugawa Yorinobu (1602-1671) Banner and Battle Standard.jpg,

Tokugawa Yorinobu was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the early Edo period. Born under the name Nagatomimaru (長福丸), he was the 10th son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, by his concubine Kageyama-dono. On December 8, 1603, Yorinobu received the fief of Mito, then rated at 20 ...

File:Tokugawa Yorinobu Battle Standard; Tokugawa Yorigusa (1603-1661) Banner.jpg,

File:Tokugawa Yoshinao Battle Standards.jpg, Tokugawa Yoshinao File:Toyotomi Hidetsugu Banner and Large Battle Standard.jpg,

Toyotomi Hidetsugu was a daimyō during the Sengoku period of Japan. He was the nephew and retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the unifier and ruler of Japan from 1590 to 1598. Despite being Hideyoshi's closest adult, male relative, Hidetsugu was accused of atrocities ...

File:Toyotomi Hidetsugu Battle Standard; Akechi Mitsuhide (1529-1582) Banner.jpg,

File:Toyotomi Hideyoshi Battle Standards.jpg,

Toyotomi Hideyoshi , otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: Military Innovations that Changed the Cour ...

File:Tsutsui Junkei (1549-1584) Battle Standard; Takeda Shingen (1521-1573) Banner.jpg, Tsutsui Junkei File:Uesugi Kagekatsu Battle Standard and Hachisuka Iemasa (1559-1638) Banner.jpg, Uesugi Kagekatsu File:Uesugi Mochifusa hata-jirushi.png, Uesugi Mochifusa File:Ukita Hideie Banner and Battle Standard.jpg,

Ukita Hideie was the ''daimyō'' of Bizen and Mimasaka Provinces (modern Okayama Prefecture), and one of the council of Five Elders appointed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Son of Ukita Naoie, he married Gōhime, a daughter of Maeda Toshiie. Having fought ag ...

File:Yamauchi Kazutoyo (1546-1605) Banner and Battle Standard.jpg,

Yamauchi Kazutoyo , also spelled Yamanouchi (1545/1546? – November 1, 1605). He was retainer of Oda Nobunaga and later Toyotomi Hideyoshi. His father Yamauchi Moritoyo, was a descendant of Fujiwara no Hidesato, a senior retainer of the Iwakura Oda clan (o ...

Minorities

Cultural flags

Prefectural flags

Each modern

prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin ''Praefectura'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain international ...

has a unique flag, most often a bicolour geometric highly stylised design (''

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 * A ...

''), often incorporating the letters of

Japanese writing system The modern Japanese writing system uses a combination of logographic kanji, which are adopted Chinese characters, and syllabic kana. Kana itself consists of a pair of syllabaries: hiragana, used primarily for native or naturalised Japane ...

and resembling company logos. A distinct feature of these flags is that they use a palette of colours not usually found in flags, including orange,

purple Purple is any of a variety of colors with hue between red and blue. In the RGB color model used in computer and television screens, purples are produced by mixing red and blue light. In the RYB color model historically used by painters ...

, aquamarine and brown. Some prefectures also have alternative official flags called . They may be used on less formal occasions. Famous symbol flags include the one used in Tokyo.

Municipal flags

Most

municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...

have unique flags. Like prefectural flags, most of them are with a bicolour geometric highly stylized symbol, often incorporating Japanese characters.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Japanese flags Flags