The official name of the Japanese flag is Nisshoki, meaning the sun-mark flag. The flag features a crimson circle at the center of a white background. It is designed to embody the nation’s nickname, Land of the Rising Sun. The Japanese flag is also referred to as Hinomaru by some Japanese people which means circle of the sun.
History books detail usage of the first sun-themed flag in 701 AD by Emperor Monmu. The Unpo-Ji temple also houses the oldest Japanese flag, which is said to be older than the 16th century. This flag was given to Minamoto no Yoshimitsu by Emperor Go-Reizei and has remained a family treasure for the Takeda clan, for the past 1000 years.
The unification period during the late 16th century has the earliest recordings of the Japanese flag. The daimyu014d, or Japanese feudal lords, used flags during battle. The flags had the family crest of the daimyo lords. The members of the families would have different flags they carried to battle and which served as identification, while the generals had flags which differed from those of the soldiers.
The period before 1854 saw different Hinomaru flags used on trading vessels between Russia and the US. Japan was ordered to hoist the Hinomaru to ease identification from foreign ships. In 1870, they declared the Hinomaru as the official merchant flag. From 1870 to 1885, it became the legal national flag, making it the first flag to be adopted in Japan. During the Meiji government, one that restored imperial rule to the Japanese empire, they used the flag to communicate to the outside world. It is also during this period that Japan established the imperial seal and the national anthem- the Kimigayo.
They used the flag during the war between Japan and China (Sino-Japanese war), between Russia and Japan (Russo-Japanese War) and in all other war efforts in the country. It became the symbol of solidarity among soldiers and for war mobilization until the 1940s.
Additionally, the flag was also used for celebrations when Japan won wars and children displayed it as a sign of patriotism. The flag was also used as a tool during Japanese Imperialism. Those conquered by the Japanese had to use the flag, and school children sang the Kimigayo when raising the flag. They did allow local flags in areas like Indonesia, Philippines, and Manchukuo, but in Korea, the flag and other symbols declared Koreans, Japanese subjects. For the Japanese, the flag was supposed to light the entire world’s darkness.
They used the flag throughout World War II, but after the war, during the occupation of Japan, they needed permission to fly the Hinoramu from the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces. They lifted the restrictions on May 2nd, 1947, and by 1948, people could fly the flag on national holidays. In 1949, they abolished these limits completely, and the citizens could fly the flag without seeking permission. The flag, however, was used less in Japan after lifting the restrictions because people associated it with military rule. The national anthem also raised objections as people had shifted their patriotic feeling towards the two. However, in 1999, they declared the Hinomaru and Kimigayo the national symbols of Japan.
Colour
The white colour is a symbol of the integrity and honesty of the people, while the red sun disc is a representation of Amaterasu, the sun goddess. Tradition and history books claim she founded Japan and that emperors descend from her.'
Shape
The shape of the Japanese flag is rectangular with a ratio of 2:3.
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