List of Japanese flags


This is a list of Japanese flags, past and present. Historically, each daimyō had his own flag.

National flags

FlagDateUseDescription
August 13, 1999 presentCivil and state flag and ensign of Japan.Flag ratio: 2:3. This flag was designed by Proclamation No. 127, 1999. The sun-disc is perfectly centered and is a brighter shade of red.
February 27, 1870August 12, 1999Civil and state flag and ensign of the Empire of Japan, and the Japanese state.Flag ratio: 7:10. Disc is shifted 1% towards the hoist. This flag was designed by Proclamation No. 57, 1870.

Imperial flags

Governmental flags

Military flags

Self-Defense Force and Imperial Army/Navy

Japan Coast Guard

Historical flags

Minorities

Cultural flags

Prefectural flags

Each modern prefecture has a unique flag, most often a bicolour geometric highly stylised design, often incorporating the letters of Japanese writing system and resembling company logos. A distinct feature of these flags is that they use a palette of colours not usually found in flags, including orange, purple, aquamarine and brown.
Some prefectures also have alternative official flags called "symbol flags". They may be used on less formal occasions. Famous symbol flags include the one used in Tokyo.
FlagPrefectureDescription
AichiJP-23Stylised hiragana of あいち. The emblem also expresses sunrise and wave to indicate Aichi's location facing the Pacific Ocean.
AkitaJP-05Stylised katakana of ア, the first syllable of "Akita".
AomoriJP-02Stylised map of the prefecture.
ChibaJP-12Stylised katakana of チバ. Blue stands for hope and progress, yellow for prefecture flower, rapeseed.
EhimeJP-38Yellow stands for happiness, green for peace and white for simplicity and purity. The mon represents orange blossom, the prefectural flower.
FukuiJP-18Stylised katakana of フクイ. The emblem stands for harmony and cooperation of people.
FukuokaJP-40Stylised hiragana of ふく. It also represents ume, the prefectural flower.
FukushimaJP-07Stylised hiragana of ふ.
GifuJP-21Stylised kanji 岐. The emblem expresses peace and harmony. The green stands for the nature of Gifu.
GunmaJP-10Stylised kanji 群 and three crescents which stand for three mountains Mount Akagi, Mount Haruna and Mount Myōgi. Purple was selected as refined colour suitable to Gunma's cultural inheritance.
HiroshimaJP-34Stylized katakana of ヒ.
HokkaidōJP-01A seven-pointed star standing for hope and development. Blue represents sea and sky of Hokkaidō, red stands for people's energy and white for light and snow.
HyōgoJP-28Stylized kanji of 兵. It also represents the stylised map of the prefecture, facing the Seto Inland Sea and the Sea of Japan.
IbarakiJP-08The prefectural flower rose on blue field. Blue stands for the Pacific Ocean and Mount Tsukuba.
IshikawaJP-17The mon is a stylised form of its name in kanji, 石川. It also represents the stylised map of the prefecture.
IwateJP-03Stylised kanji of 岩 which symbolises advanced progress.
KagawaJP-37Stylised and slightly rotated katakana of カ. It also represents mountains, as well as leaves of the olive, the prefectural tree.
KagoshimaJP-46Stylised map of the prefecture, with Sakurajima in the center.
KarafutoN/AStylised kanji of 太 in the form of three birch 樺 leaves and fruit, making the rebus of 樺太. Used from 1911–1945; the territory is now part of Russia.
KanagawaJP-14Stylised kanji of 神. The Japanese national colours were chosen due to the Yokohama seaport, long used as a primary gateway into Japan, being located within the prefecture.
KōchiJP-39Stylised hiragana of とさ, the name of the former province. The mon also incorporates 90 degrees rotated katakana of コ.
KumamotoJP-43Stylised katakana of ク. It also represents the stylised map of Kyūshū.
KyotoJP-26Stylized kanji of 京.
MieJP-24Stylized hiragana of み. The circle also represents pearls aquafarmed in the prefecture.
MiyagiJP-04Stylised hiragana of み. It also represents the miyaginohagi, the prefectural flower.
MiyazakiJP-45Stylized katakana of ミ.
NaganoJP-20Orange flag with white mon closer to the hoist. The mon is a stylized katakana of ナ. It also represents mountains mirrored on a lake.
NagasakiJP-42Stylised form of the letter N. It also represents a dove, the symbol of peace. There are two versions, one with the prefectural name in kanji, another without it. Both are official.
NaraJP-29Stylised katakana of ナ.
NiigataJP-15The symbol on the top is a stylised kanji 新 of Niigata, while the left half of the circle is a stylised katakana for ガ and the right, タ.


ŌitaŌitaJP-44Three stylised kanji of 大. Each kanji also represents a flying bird, and the whole symbol represents the sun. There are two versions, one with the prefectural name in kanji, another without it. Both are official.
OkayamaJP-33Stylized kanji of 岡. The simplified version uses the white symbol instead of gold.
OkinawaJP-47White letter O within a red disc on a white field.
ŌsakaJP-27The blue stands for cleanness, freshness and intelligence and also represents the sky and sea due to Ōsaka City having both an airport and seaport. The blue also represents Ōsaka's nickname water city, due to having many rivers and facing two seas. The mon represents calabash, the symbol of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Circles also describe the letter O.
SagaJP-41The mon is Japanese cinnamon, the prefectural flower.
SaitamaJP-11Sixteen magatama representing the sun as well as development and strength. Magatama were found in Sakitama Kofun, Gyōda, which is the origin of the name of the prefecture. White stands for purity and friendship.
ShigaJP-25Stylised katakana of シガ. The circle in the centre represents Lake Biwa.
ShimaneJP-32Four stylised katakana of マ. In Japanese, "four" is shi.
ShizuokaJP-22Stylised map of the prefecture and Mount Fuji. Blue stands for the sky and the Pacific Ocean and orange for sun light, passion and unity of people.
TochigiJP-09Stylised kanji of 栃 and kanji 木 with three arrows. The flag represents improvement and active motion.
TokushimaJP-36Stylised hiragana of とく. It also represents a flying bird.
TokyoJP-13The sun represents the developing capital city Tokyo. This is the official "metropolitan flag", used on formal occasions. See Insignias of Tokyo for details.
TokyoJP-13The symbol at the centre consists of three arcs combined to resemble a ginkgo leaf and represent T for Tokyo. This is the official "symbol flag", used more frequently than the flag above. See Insignias of Tokyo for details. The symbol is also for the Toei Subway logo.
TottoriJP-31The symbol is meant to represent the hiragana と and a bird to form a rebus of Tottori.
ToyamaJP-16The symbol is meant to represent the hiragana と and two mountains to form a rebus of Toyama. It also represents Mount Tateyama.
WakayamaJP-30Stylised katakana of ワ.
YamagataJP-06Three mountains. The form also represents the stream of the Mogami River running through Yamagata. Blue stands for desire for peace and ideal, white for snow and purity of people.
YamaguchiJP-35Stylised kanji of 山口. The emblem represents a bird flying towards the sun and stands for cooperation and progress of people.
YamanashiJP-19Stylised kanji of 山 in the centre of Mount Fuji. Purple represents the grape, a popular product of Yamanashi.

Municipal flags

Most municipalities have unique flags. Like prefectural flags, most of them are with a bicolour geometric highly stylized symbol, often incorporating Japanese characters.