Japan’s flag, the Hinomaru, is a white field with a crimson disc symbolising the sun—reflecting Japan’s identity as the “Land of the Rising Sun.” First mandated for ships in 1854 and standardised during the Meiji era, it was legally affirmed as the national flag in 1999. The circle connotes sincerity, brightness, and warmth; the white stands for purity and honesty. Proportions are 2:3 with the disc diameter at three‑fifths the flag height. Etiquette requires respectful handling, half‑masting in mourning, and prominence on national days. Despite post‑war debates, the design endures for its deep mytho‑historical roots and continuity of state identity.
The flag of Japan—the Hinomaru—is one of the world’s most instantly recognisable national symbols. A crimson sun disc centered on a white field, it compresses Japan’s mythic heritage, imperial tradition, and modern sovereignty into a minimalist emblem.
Mythic and Early Uses References to the sun permeate Japan’s earliest chronicles, notably the Nihon Shoki (720 CE), which traces imperial lineage to the sun goddess Amaterasu. Sun devices and roundels appeared on court and military banners through the medieval era, but there was no single national flag.
Edo Maritime Standard (1854) As Japan re‑engaged with international trade in the mid‑19th century, the Tokugawa shogunate mandated in 1854 that Japanese ships fly a white flag with a red disc—an early, nationwide legal instruction for identification at sea.
Meiji Era Standardisation Following the Meiji Restoration (from 1868), the Hinomaru was defined as civil ensign and de facto national flag, with a 2:3 aspect ratio and a disc diameter of three‑fifths the flag’s height. The army and navy used related Rising Sun standards with radiating rays, while the plain disc flag represented the state in civic and diplomatic contexts.
Wartime Associations and Occupation Period The Hinomaru’s visibility grew with state expansion. After 1945, occupation authorities constrained public display, and domestic debate surrounded school ceremonies. Nevertheless, practice reaffirmed the Hinomaru for embassies, sports, and official functions.
1999 Act on National Flag and Anthem To remove ambiguity, the Diet codified the Hinomaru in 1999, specifying geometry and colour (white field, crimson disc, 2:3 proportion; disc three‑fifths of height) and pairing it legally with the anthem, Kimigayo. The law also clarified etiquette and occasions for display and half‑masting.
Symbolism
and Protocol The disc emblematises the sun—sincerity, brightness, and warmth—while white denotes purity and honesty. Protocol prescribes raising at sunrise, lowering at sunset, precedence among flags, half‑mast in mourning, and dignified retirement of worn flags.
Continuity
and Reception Public views once diverged over compulsory use in schools, but today the flag broadly functions as a unifying emblem at home and abroad. Its minimalist geometry, deep cultural resonance, and legal clarity explain its continuity from early maritime usage to a modern constitutional state symbol.