Flag of Japan

The national flag of Japan is a white rectangular flag with a large red disc (representing the sun) in the center. This flag is officially called Nisshōki (日章旗^?, "sun-mark flag") in Japanese, but is more commonly known as Hinomaru (日の丸^?, "sun disc").

The Nisshōki flag is designated as the national flag in Law Regarding the National Flag and National Anthem, which was promulgated and became effective on August 13, 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 Daijōkan, the governmental body of the early Meiji Era, 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 February 27, 1870), and as the national flag used by Navy under Proclamation No. 651 of Meiji 3 (issued on October 27, 1870). Use of the Hinomaru was severely restricted during the early years of the American occupation after World War II, although restrictions were later relaxed.

In early Japanese history, the Hinomaru motif was used on flags of daimyos and samurai. During the Meiji Restoration, both the sun disc and the Rising Sun Ensign of the Imperial Japanese Navy became major symbols in the emerging Japanese empire. Various propaganda posters, textbooks, and films depicted the flag as a source of pride and patriotism to the Japanese. 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 to the emperor featuring the Hinomaru motif became popular during the Second Sino-Japanese War and other conflicts. These ranged from slogans written on the flag to clothing items and dishes that resembled the flag.

Public perception about the national flag varies. To some Japanese, the flag represents Japan, and no other flag could take its place. However, the flag is not frequently displayed due to its association with extreme nationalism. The use of the flag and the national anthem Kimigayo have been a contentious issue for Japan's public schools since the end of World War II. Disputes about their use have led to protests, lawsuits, and at least one suicide in Hiroshima Prefecture.

To Okinawans, the flag represents the events of World War II that took place there and the U.S. military presence afterward. For nations occupied by Japan, the flag is a symbol of aggression and imperialism. The Hinomaru was used as a weapon against occupied nations for purposes of intimidation or subjugation. During protests against Japanese foreign policy, such as revisionism or territorial claims, the flag was burned by Chinese and Koreans in their respective countries. Despite the negative connotations, Western and Japanese sources claim the flag is a powerful and enduring symbol to the Japanese. 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

Before 1900

The exact origin of the Hinomaru is unknown,^[3] but the rising sun seems to have had some symbolic meaning since the early seventh century. In 607, an official correspondence that began with, "from the emperor of the rising sun," was sent to Emperor Yang of Sui.^[4] Japan is often referred to as "the land of the rising sun."^[5] In the 12th-century work, Tale of Heike, it was written that different samurai carried drawings of the sun on their fans.^[6] Another possible reason for the use of the sun was that the Japanese warrior wanted simple and elegant designs to reflect the well mannered and cultured status of the samurai.^[7] One legend related to the national flag is attributed to the Buddhist priest Nichiren. Supposedly, during a 13th-century Mongolian invasion of Japan, Nichiren gave a sun banner to the shogun to carry into battle.^[8] The sun is also closely related to the Imperial family as legend states the imperial throne was descended from the sun goddess Amaterasu.^[9]^[10]

One of Japan's oldest flags is housed at the Unpo-ji temple in Yamanashi Prefecture. Legend states it was given by Emperor Reizei to Minamoto no Yoshimitsu, and has been treated as a family treasure by the Takeda clan for the past 1000 years. However, the historical accuracy of this account is questionable.^[11]

The earliest recorded flags in Japan date from the unification period in the late 16th century. The flags belonged to each Daimyo and were used primarily in battle. Most of the flags were long banners usually charged with the mon (family crest) of the Daimyo 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.^[12]

In 1854, During the Tokugawa Shogunate, Japanese ships were ordered to hoist the Hinomaru to distinguish them from foreign ships.^[6] Before then, different types of Hinomaru flags were used on vessels that were trading with the Americans and Russians.^[3] 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.^[13]^[14]

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.^[15] Further Meiji Government implementations gave more identifications Japan, including the anthem Kimigayo and the imperial seal.^[16] In 1885, all previous laws not published in the Official Gazette of Japan were abolished.^[17] 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.^[18]

Early conflicts and the Pacific War

As Japan developed into an empire, the use of the national flag grew. After victories in the First Sino-Japanese and Russo-Japanese wars, the Hinomaru was present at celebrations. The flag was also used in war efforts throughout the country.^[19] 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.^[20] In 1937, a group of girls from Hiroshima Prefecture showed solidarity with Japanese soldiers fighting in China during the Second Sino-Japanese War, by eating "flag meals" that consisted 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 her soldiers until the 1940s.^[21]

As early victories came for Japan in the Sino-Japanese War, the Hinomaru was again used for celebrations and seen in the hands of every Japanese during parades.^[19]

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 being a "good Japanese."^[22]

During World War II, the flag of Japan was a tool of Japanese imperialism in the occupied Southeast Asian areas: people had to use the flag,^[23] and schoolchildren sang Kimigayo in morning flag raising ceremonies.^[24] Local flags were allowed for some areas such as the Philippines, Indonesia and Manchukuo.^[25] ^[26] ^[27] In certain colonies such as Korea, the Hinomaru and other symbols were used to subject the Koreans as second-class citizens in the empire.^[28]

To the Japanese, the Hinomaru was the "Rising Sun flag that would light the darkness of the entire world."^[29] To Westerners, it was one of the Japanese military's most powerful symbols.^[30]

Postwar U.S. occupation period

The Hinomaru was the de facto flag throughout World War II and the occupation period.^[18] During the occupation of Japan after World War II, permission from the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers (SCAPJ) was needed to fly the Hinomaru.^[31]^[32] Sources differ on the degree to which the use of the Hinomaru flag was restricted; some use the term "banned."^[33]^[34] However, while the original restrictions were severe, they did not amount to an outright ban.^[18]

After World War II, an ensign was used by Japanese civil ships of the United States Naval Shipping Control Authority for Japanese Merchant Marines.^[35] Modified from the "E" signal code, the ensign was used from September 1945 until the U.S. occupation of Japan ceased.^[36]^[37] U.S. ships operating in Japanese waters used a modified "O" signal flag as their ensign.^[38]

On May 2, 1947, General Douglas MacArthur lifted the restrictions on displaying the Hinomaru in the grounds of the National Diet Building, 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.^[39]^[40] 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 for a short period until the early 1950s.^[31]

Postwar to 1999

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.^[11] 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.^[41]^[42]

As Japan began to re-establish itself diplomatically, the Hinomaru was used as a political weapon overseas. In a visit by the Emperor and Empress Showa to the Netherlands, the Hinomaru was burned by Dutch citizens who demanded that either he be sent home to Japan or tried for the deaths of Dutch prisoners of war during the Second World War.^[43] Domestically, the Hinomaru was not even used in protests against a new Status of Forces Agreement being negotiated between U.S. and Japan. The most common flag used by the trade unions and other protesters was the red flag of revolt.^[44]

When Tokyo was hosting the 1964 Summer Olympic Games, this still brought forth an issue with the flag and anthem. 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.^[45] 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 as well as the 1998 Winter Olympic Games in Nagano.^[46]

In 1989, the death of Emperor Showa once again raised issues about the national flag. For conservatives, if the flag could be used during the ceremonies without bringing out old wounds, they could have a chance to make the case to present the Hinomaru as the national flag without being challenged about its meaning.^[47] During an official six day mourning period, flags were flown at half staff or draped in black bunting all across Japan.^[48] Despite reports of the Hinomaru being vandalized at protests on the day of Emperor Showa's funeral,^[49] the ability of schools flying the Hinomaru at half-staff without reservations brought success to the conservatives.^[47]

1999 to present

Both the Hinomaru and Kimigayo were chosen as the national symbols with the passage of the Law Regarding the National Flag and National Anthem in 1999. The passage of the law stemmed from a suicide of a school principal in Hiroshima who could not resolve a dispute between his school board and his teachers over the use of the Hinomaru and Kimigayo.^[50]

Main supporters of the bill were the LDP and the Komeito (CGP), while the opposition included the Social Democratic Party (SDPJ) and Communist Party (CPJ), 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 (DPJ) could not develop party consensus on it. President of the DPJ, Naoto Kan stated that the DPJ must support the bill because the party already recognized both symbols as the symbols of Japan.^[51] Deputy Secretary General and future prime minister Yukio Hatoyama thought that this bill would cause further divisions among society and the public schools.^[52]

The bill was voted by the House of Representatives in on July 22, 1999 and was passed by a 403 to 86 vote.^[53] The legislation was sent to the House of Councilors on July 28 and was passed on August 9. It was enacted into law on August 13.^[54] Attempts to designate only the Hinomaru as the national flag by the DPJ and other parties during the vote of the bill was rejected by the Diet.^[55]

On August 8, 2009, a photograph was taken at a DPJ rally for the House of Representatives election showing a banner that was hanging from a ceiling. It turned out that it was two Hinomaru flags cut and sewn together to form the shape of the DPJ logo. This infuriated the LDP and Prime Minister Taro Aso, saying this act by the DPJ was unforgivable. In response, DPJ President Yukio Hatoyama (who voted for the Law Regarding the National Flag and National Anthem),^[52] said that the banner wasn't the Hinomaru and should not be regarded as such.^[56]

Design

Passed in 1870, the Prime Minister's Proclamation No. 57 had two provisions related to the national flag. The first provision dealt with who flew the flag and how it was flown; the second dealt with how the flag was made.^[3] The ratio was seven units length and ten units width (7:10). The red disc, which represents the sun, was calculated to be three-fifths of the total size of the hoist length. The law decreed the disc to be in the center, but it was usually placed one-hundredths (1/100) towards the hoist.^[57]^[58] In October 3 of the same year, regulations about the design of the merchant ensign and other naval flags were passed.^[59] For the merchant flag, the ratio was two units length and three units width (2:3). The size of the disc remained the same, however the sun disc was placed one-twentieth (1/20) towards the hoist.^[60]

When the Law Regarding the National Flag and National Anthem passed, the dimensions of the flag were slightly altered.^[1] The overall ratio of the flag was changed to two units length by three units width (2:3). The red disc was shifted towards dead center, but the overall size of the disc stayed the same.^[2] The background of the flag is white and the sun disc is red　(紅色 (beni iro^?)), but the exact color shades were not defined in the 1999 law.^[1] The only hint given about the red color that it is a "deep" shade.^[61]

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 chart.^[62] The document was changed on March 21, 2008 (Heisei 20) to match the flag's construction with current legislation and updated the Munsell colors. The document lists acrylic fiber and nylon 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.^[62] In a document issued by the Official Development Assistance (ODA), the red color for the Hinomaru and the ODA logo is listed as DIC 156 and CMYK 0-100-90-0.^[63] During deliberations about the Law Regarding the National Flag and National Anthem, there was a suggestion to either use a bright red (赤色 (aka iro^?)) shade or from the color pool of the Japanese Industrial Standards.^[64]

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.^[16]

During World War II, 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 also was used as a good luck charm and also as a prayer to wish the soldier back safely from battle. One term for this kind of charm is Hinomaru Yosegaki (日の丸寄せ書き).^[69] One tradition is that any writing must not touch the sun disc.^[70] After battles, these flags were often captured or later found on deceased Japanese soldiers. While these flags became souvenirs,^[70] there has been a growing trend of sending the signed flags back to Japan to the descendants of the soldier.^[71]

The tradition for signing the Hinomaru as a good luck charm still continues, but in a limited fashion. The Hinomaru Yosegaki could be shown at sporting events to give support to the Japanese national team.^[72] Another example is the hachimaki headband, which was white in color and had the red sun in the middle. During World War II, the phrase "Certain Victory" (必勝 Hisshou^?) was written on the hachimaki and worn by kamikaze pilots. This denoted that the pilot was willing to die for his country.^[73]

Before World War II, the Hinomaru was required to be displayed on all homes during national holidays.^[18] 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, and it is rarely seen in private homes or commercial buildings.^[74] Conversely, some people and companies have advocated displaying the flag of Japan on holidays. Since the Emperor's 80th Birthday on December 23, 2002, the Kyushu Railway Company has displayed the Hinomaru at 330 stations.^[75]

Although the government of Japan encourages citizens and residents to fly the Hinomaru during national holidays, they are not legally required to do so.^[76]^[77]

Present-day perception

According to polls conduced by mainstream media, most Japanese people had perceived the flag of Japan as the national flag, even before the page of the Law Regarding the National Flag and National Anthem in 1999.^[78] 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 often feature articles critical of the flag of Japan, reflecting their readerships' political spectrum.^[79]

The display of the Hinomaru at homes and businesses is also debated in Japanese society. Because of the association of the Hinomaru with uyoku dantai (right wing) activists, reactionary politics or hooliganism, some homes and businesses do not fly the flag.^[18] To other Japanese, the flag represents the time where democracy was suppressed when Japan was an empire.^[80]

Negative perceptions towards the Hinomaru exist in former colonies of Japan and within Japan itself, such as in Okinawa. In one notable example of this, on October 26, 1987, an Okinawan supermarket owner burned the Hinomaru before the start of the National Sports Festival of Japan.^[81] The flag burner, Chibana Shôichi, burned the Hinomaru not only to show opposition to the atrocities of Japanese army and the continued presence of U.S. forces, but also to prevent it from being displayed in public.^[82] In other incidents in Okinawa, the flag was either torn down during school ceremonies or students refused to honor the flag when it was being raised to the sounds of Kimigayo.^[19] In the People's Republic of China and South Korea, both lands which had been occupied by the Empire of Japan, Japanese flags were burnt protesting Japan's foreign policies or if a Japanese prime minister visited the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo to honor Japanese war dead, which includes fourteen class A war criminals.^[83] Under this flag, the Japanese soldiers committed various crimes that resulted in many deaths in countries they occupied.^[84] Japanese laws allow the burning of the Hinomaru, but foreign flags cannot be burned in Japan.^[85]^[86]

Protocol

According to protocol, the flag may fly from sunrise until sunset; businesses and schools are permitted to fly the flag from opening to closing.^[87] When flying the flags of Japan and another country at the same time, 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.^[88] When the flag becomes unsuitable to use, it is customarily burned in private.^[87] 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.^[89]^[90]

The Hinomaru flag has at least two mourning styles. One is to display the flag at half-staff (半旗 Han-ki^?), as is common in many countries. The offices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hoist the flag at half-staff when a funeral is performed for a foreign nation's head of state.^[91] An alternative mourning style is to cover the sphere finial by black cloth and place a black ribbon above the flag, and is called a mourning flag (弔旗 Chō-ki^?). This style dates back to July 30, 1912, when Emperor Meiji died and the Cabinet issued an ordinance stipulating how the national flag should be raised in mourning when the Emperor dies.^[92] The Cabinet has the authority to announce the half-staffing of the national flag.^[93]

Public schools

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 at schools under their jurisdiction. The first such statement came out in 1950 that it was desirable, but not required, to use both symbols. This desire 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.^[94] 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.^[95] Punishments for school officials who did not follow this order were also enacted with the 1989 reforms.^[94]

The 1999 curriculum guideline issued by the after the passage of the Law Regarding decrees that "on entrance and graduation ceremonies, schools must raise the flag of Japan and instruct students to sing the "Kimigayo" (national anthem), given the significance of the flag and the song."^[96] 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."^[97] 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.^[98]

Schools have been the center of controversy over both the anthem and the national flag.^[33] 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.^[99] Some have protested that such rules violate the Constitution of Japan, while the Board, for its part, has argued that since schools are government agencies, their employees have an obligation to teach their students how to be good Japanese citizens.^[11] As a sign of protest, schools either refused to display the Hinomaru at school graduations and some parents ripped down the flag.^[33] Teachers have unsuccessfully brought criminal complaints against Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara and senior officials for ordering teachers to honor the Hinomaru and Kimigayo.^[100] After earlier opposition, the Japan Teachers Union 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.^[101]

Related flags

Military

The Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force use a version of the sun disc design with eight red rays extending outward, called Hachijō-Kyokujitsuki (八条旭日旗). A gold border lies partially around the edge.^[102]

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 Navy. The ensign, known in Japanese as the Kyokujitsu-ki (旭日旗), was first adopted as the naval ensign on October 7, 1889, and was used until the end of World War II in 1945. It was re-adopted on June 30, 1954, and is now used again as the naval ensign of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).^[102]^[103] In the surrounding Asian countries that were occupied by Japan, this flag still carries a negative connotation.^[104] 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.^[105]^[106]

The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF), established independently in 1952, has only the plain sun disc as its emblem.^[107] 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 ensign was created in 1972, which was the third used by the JASDF since its creation. The ensign contains the emblem of the branch centered on a blue background.^[108]^[109]

Although not an official national flag, the Z signal flag played a major role in Japanese naval history. On May 27, 1905, Admiral Heihachiro Togo of the Mikasa was preparing to engage the Russian Baltic Fleet. Before the Battle of Tsushima 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 the Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in December 1941.^[110]

Imperial

Starting in 1870, flags were created for the Japanese emperor (then Emperor Meiji), the empress, and for other members of the imperial family.^[111] 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 were also granted flags to be used at sea and while on land (one for use on foot and a carriage flag). The carriage flags were a monocolored chrysanthemum, with 16 petals, placed in the center of a monocolored background.^[112] 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 being used by the imperial family.^[113]^[114]^[115]

The current emperor's flag is a 16-petal chrysanthemum, 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.^[116] The chrysanthemum has been associated with the Imperial throne since the rule of Emperor Go-Toba in the 1100s, but it did not become the exclusive symbol of the Imperial throne until 1868.^[111]

Subnational

Each of Japan's 47 prefectures has a flag resembling the national flag insofar as consisting of a symbol, called a mon, charged on a monocolored field (with the exception of Ehime, who uses a symbol on a bicolor background).^[117] There are several prefecture flags, such as Hiroshima, that match their specifications to the national flag (2:3 ratio, mon placed in the center and is 3/5th the length of the flag).^[118] Some of the mon display the name of the prefecture in 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, 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 evokes the sun while the white color represents the snow of the region.^[119]^[120]

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 in Kumamoto Prefecture: the city symbol is composed of the Katakana character A (ア) and surrounded by waves.^[121] This symbol is centered on a white flag, with a ratio of 1:1.5.^[122] Both the city emblem and the flag were adopted in 2006.^[122]

Derivative corporate, organizational, and foreign flags

Besides the flags used by the military, several other flag designs were inspired by the national flag.

The Japanese Vexillological Association (Nihon Kishougaku Kyoukai), was established in 2000 to promote vexillology, the study of flags. The organization sought a flag and symbol for its own use. Out of the 61 entries, a flag based on the Hinomaru was chosen. The main field of the flag shows the red sun disc resting in the upper portion, below which are ropes joined in a sheet bend,^[123] a motif used on the flag of the Fédération internationale des associations vexillologiques.^[124] The joined knots represent fellowship, and ropes are devices used to raise and lower flags.^[125] 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 〒 postal mark in red on a white background.^[126]

Two recently designed national flags resemble the Japanese flag. In 1971, Bangladesh became independent from Pakistan, and 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.^[127] The Government of Bangladesh officially calls the red disc a circle;^[128] the red color symbolizes the blood that was shed to create their country.^[129] The island nation of Palau uses a flag of similar design, the color scheme is completely different. While the Government of Palau does not cite the Japanese as an influence on their national flag, Japan did administrate Palau from 1914 until 1944.^[130] The flag of Palau is an off-centered golden-yellow full moon on a sky blue background.^[131] 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.^[132]

Another Japanese flag that influenced other flag designs is the naval ensign. 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 朝 is colored white, which covers most of the sun. The rays extend from the sun and occur in a red and white order culminating in 13 total stripes.^[133]^[134] The flag is commonly seen at the National High School Baseball Championship, as the Asahi Shimbun is a main sponsor of the tournament.^[135] The rank flags and ensigns of the Imperial Japanese Navy also based their designs off of the naval ensign.^[136]

Flag of Japan - 7x.nl

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