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A national flag · vexillological catalog

Flag of Japan.

The flag of Japan — known in Japanese as the Nisshōki ("sun-mark flag") and informally as the Hinomaru ("circle of the sun") — is one of the simplest and most distinctive national flags in the world. It consists of a single crimson disc on a white field, representing the rising sun. The disc is offset slightly toward the hoist, though for most modern uses it is treated as centred. The motif derives from Japan's long-standing identification as the "Land of the Rising Sun" — a description that appears in 7th-century Japanese diplomatic correspondence and which the country still uses today. The current design was formalised by the Meiji government in 1870, but the sun disc as a Japanese symbol predates that by many centuries, having appeared on temple banners, military standards and merchant ship pennants throughout the medieval period. The flag was the centrepiece of national identity through the Meiji and Showa eras, was used as a wartime symbol in the Pacific War, and was confirmed as the official national flag of post-war Japan by the Act on National Flag and Anthem of 1999.

Proportion

2:3

Adopted

1999

Designer

Traditional design — formally adopted under the Meiji government in 1870

Japan

01 · Symbolism

The red disc represents the sun — Japan being known as the 'Land of the Rising Sun' (Nihon).

02 · Colour meanings

What each colour represents.

A breakdown of the symbolism behind each colour on the flag of Japan.

Crimson Red

#BC002D

Represents the rising sun, sincerity and brightness. Sometimes also interpreted as warmth and the determination of the Japanese people.

White

#FFFFFF

Symbolises honesty and purity — central virtues in Japanese cultural tradition. The unbroken white field also represents space, simplicity and the Shinto aesthetic.

04 · Fun facts

Things to remember.

01
The disc on the flag is technically off-centre — the 1870 specifications placed it 1/100th of the flag's width toward the hoist — though modern use treats it as centred and the 1999 Act formally moved it to the centre.
02
A variant called the Rising Sun Flag (Kyokujitsu-ki) — a red disc with 16 rays — was used by the Imperial Japanese Army from 1870 and remains in use by the modern Japan Self-Defense Forces. It is controversial in parts of East Asia due to its associations with Japanese militarism in the early 20th century.
03
The use of the Hinomaru predates 1870 by centuries: it appears on the banners of medieval samurai clans, including the Genji during the 12th-century Genpei War, and on Japanese merchant vessels under the Tokugawa shogunate (1603–1868).
04
During the post-war Allied occupation, public display of the Hinomaru was restricted; full restrictions were lifted in 1949, but the flag remained politically charged in some Japanese institutions until the 1999 Act on National Flag and Anthem formally confirmed its status.
05
Japan's emperor was historically described as a descendant of the sun goddess Amaterasu, which is one of the cultural roots of the sun symbol on the flag.

05 · History

How it came to be.

Sun motifs as Japanese national symbols date back to at least the 7th century, when official correspondence from Japan to China referred to Japan as the country "where the sun rises." The white-and-red sun disc appeared on military banners during the Genpei War (1180–1185) and was adopted by the Tokugawa shogunate as a national mark for ships in 1854. The Meiji government formally adopted the Hinomaru as the Japanese merchant ensign in 1870 and as the national flag de facto from that date. Its post-war legal status was ambiguous until the Act on National Flag and Anthem (1999) explicitly declared the Hinomaru the national flag of Japan and the "Kimi ga Yo" the national anthem.

03 · About

On the design.

The Hinomaru (sun-circle) is a red disc on a white field. Although used for centuries, it was only officially designated the national flag of Japan in 1999.

The design

The Flag of Japan is a national emblem rendered in the colours and proportions defined by the country’s flag law. Its official aspect ratio is 2:3, the height-to-length ratio that fixes how the flag should be cut and flown. The colour scheme uses White, Red, with each shade specified to particular Pantone or RGB values for official reproduction.

Colour palette

Colour	Name	Common symbolism
White	White	Commonly represents peace, purity, honesty or snow-capped landscapes.
Red	Red	Often signifies courage, sacrifice, revolution or the blood of those who fought for the nation.
Source	Official flag law	The country’s own statute or constitutional appendix specifies exact shades and proportions.

Symbolism & heraldry

The red disc represents the sun — Japan being known as the 'Land of the Rising Sun' (Nihon).

Heraldic elements on the Flag of Japan — bands, charges, emblems or stars — each carry meaning agreed at the moment of the flag’s adoption. Re-readings happen across generations: a colour or a symbol that began with one meaning often picks up further layers as the country’s history unfolds.

Adoption & history

The current flag was adopted in 1999. Earlier banners flown by Japan reflected the politics of their day; each redesign typically marked a moment of independence, regime change or constitutional reform. The current flag was chosen, debated and codified through the country’s official channels and is now protected by flag law.

Etiquette & protocol

The Flag of Japan should be flown with respect: never allowed to touch the ground, never used as drapery for ceremonies it was not made for, and lowered or removed at sundown unless illuminated. When flown alongside other national flags, it takes precedence on home soil and is hoisted first and lowered last. On days of national mourning, the flag is flown at half-mast in line with directives from the head of state. These conventions are common to most nations and are usually written into the flag’s founding statute.

Specifications

Field	Value	Note
Country	Japan	—
Continent	Asia	—
ISO alpha-2	JP	2-letter code
ISO alpha-3	JPN	3-letter code
Adopted	1999	year of current design
Proportion	2:3	height : length
Colours	White, Red	—
Designer		—
Emoji	🇯🇵	Unicode codepoint sequence

Did you know?

The disc must be exactly three-fifths the height of the flag and centred precisely — the only major flag with such strict geometric specifications.

Frequently asked questions

What does the red circle on the Japanese flag represent?

The red disc represents the sun, reflecting Japan's traditional identification as the "Land of the Rising Sun." The motif has appeared on Japanese banners and standards for over a thousand years, drawing on Shinto religious associations between the imperial line and the sun goddess Amaterasu.

When was the Japanese flag adopted?

The Hinomaru was formally adopted as the Japanese merchant ensign in 1870 by the Meiji government. It functioned as the national flag throughout the modern era, but was only confirmed as the official national flag by the Act on National Flag and Anthem in 1999.

What is the difference between the Japanese flag and the Rising Sun flag?

The Japanese national flag (Hinomaru) is a single red disc on a white field. The Rising Sun flag (Kyokujitsu-ki) adds 16 red rays radiating from the disc and is used by the Japan Self-Defense Forces and historically by the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy. The Rising Sun flag is sometimes controversial in South Korea, China and other parts of East Asia due to associations with Japanese imperial-era militarism.

Why is the sun on the Japanese flag red?

In Japanese tradition, the rising sun is depicted as red rather than yellow or orange — partly an aesthetic convention of Japanese painting, and partly a reference to the sun appearing red at sunrise and sunset. The colour red is also associated in Shinto practice with vitality, the sacred, and the warding off of evil.

Which country does the Flag of Japan represent?

The Flag of Japan is the national flag of Japan.

When was the Flag of Japan adopted?

The Flag of Japan was adopted in 1999 — about 27 years old.

What is the proportion of the Flag of Japan?

The Flag of Japan has an official proportion (height-to-width ratio) of 2:3.

Who designed the Flag of Japan?

The Flag of Japan was designed by Traditional design — formally adopted under the Meiji government in 1870.

04 · Country at a glance

Japan — in brief.

Quick reference data on Japan, the country this flag represents.

Capital: Tokyo
Continent: Asia
Sub-region: Eastern Asia
Population: 124M
Area: 377,975 km²
Languages: Japanese
Currency: Japanese Yen (JPY)
Government: Constitutional monarchy
Flag age: about 27 years old

Dispatch 13 · MAY · 26

A small thing, worth noting.

The disc must be exactly three-fifths the height of the flag and centred precisely — the only major flag with such strict geometric specifications.

— filed from the catalog

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