Japan

3×5' nylon national flag of Japan.

Few flags are simpler or older in spirit than Japan's. The Hinomaru, the "circle of the sun," draws on Japan's name for itself, Nihon, "origin of the sun."

Design

A red disc centered on a white field.

History & Symbolism

Sun discs appeared on Japanese fans and banners for centuries. In 1870 the Meiji government made the design the flag of merchant ships, and it came to serve as the national flag in practice. It was formally established by the Act on National Flag and Anthem on 13 August 1999, which also changed the proportions from 7:10 to 2:3 and moved the disc to the exact center.

Flag Specifications

• Adopted: 1870 in practice; by law 13 August 1999
• Official proportions: 2:3
• Colors: crimson, white
• Emblem: sun disc, diameter three-fifths of the flag's height

Vexillographer's Note

The Hinomaru is often confused with the Rising Sun flag, whose rays spread from the disc. That flag was used by the Imperial military and is still flown by Japan's navy, and it is not the national flag.

Humphrys Flag Company · Old City Philadelphia · Est. 1864