Flag of Japan (Nisshōki / Hinomaru)

Flag of Japan (Nisshōki / Hinomaru)

Construction sheet: Flag of Japan (Nisshōki / Hinomaru)
Construction sheet

Description

  • A red circle centred on a white field, officially called the Nisshōki (flag of the sun), commonly known as Hinomaru (circle of the sun)
  • First adopted in 1870 and given formal legal recognition in 1999 under the Act on National Flag and Anthem
  • The disc diameter is three-fifths of the hoist length, centred on the field

Trivia

  • The flag's official name 'Nisshōki' means 'sun-mark flag'. Its design was legally defined only in 1999, despite centuries of use
  • The red disc represents the sun; Japan's name literally means 'origin of the sun'
  • The simplicity of Japan's flag makes it one of the most recognisable flags worldwide

Flag of Japan

Japan's flag, called the Hinomaru (ball of the sun), features a red circle centred on a white field. The red circle represents the sun goddess Amaterasu, the mythical ancestor of the Imperial family. White stands for purity and integrity.

Historical records suggest the design appeared during the Edo Period, when the Tokugawa shogunate ordered merchant ships to fly the red sun disc. The earliest recorded use dates to 701 AD during Emperor Monmu's court ceremonies. First officially adopted in 1870, the flag received formal legal recognition in 1999 under the Act on National Flag and Anthem.

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  "title": "Flag of Japan (Nisshōki / Hinomaru)",
  "ratio": "2:3",
  "use": {
    "as": "national flag",
    "since": "1870-02-27"
  },
  "of": {
    "country": "japan"
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    "name": "Japan",
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  "colors": [
    {
      "color": "white",
      "hex": "#FFFFFF",
      "cmyk": "0/0/0/0",
      "officialSpec": "Munsell N9",
      "note": "Symbolizes purity, honesty, and integrity"
    },
    {
      "color": "red",
      "hex": "#BC002D",
      "cmyk": "0/100/76/26",
      "officialSpec": "Munsell 5R 4/12",
      "note": "Represents the sun goddess Amaterasu and the Land of the Rising Sun"
    }
  ],
  "desc": "- A red circle centred on a white field, officially called the Nisshōki (flag of the sun), commonly known as Hinomaru (circle of the sun)\n - First adopted in 1870 and given formal legal recognition in 1999 under the Act on National Flag and Anthem\n - The disc diameter is three-fifths of the hoist length, centred on the field",
  "article": "japan/flag.md",
  "cs": "japan/flag.cs.svg",
  "trivia": "- The flag's official name 'Nisshōki' means 'sun-mark flag'. Its design was legally defined only in 1999, despite centuries of use\n - The red disc represents the sun; Japan's name literally means 'origin of the sun'\n - The simplicity of Japan's flag makes it one of the most recognisable flags worldwide",
  "flag": "japan/flag.svg",
  "_name": "Japan",
  "_namespace": "japan",
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}
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