Flag |
Date |
Use |
Description |
|
1954– |
Flag of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force |
A sun disc design with 8 red rays extending outward, and a gold border partially around the edge. |
|
1889–1945, 1954– |
Ensign of the Imperial Japanese Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force |
Sun disc with 16 rays on a white field, with the disc skewed to the hoist |
|
1972– |
Ensign of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force |
The first flag dates from 1955. The current ensign is the third one. |
|
1972– |
Standard of the Prime Minister of Japan |
Five cherry blossoms on a purple background |
100px |
1972– |
Naval standard of the Prime Minister of Japan |
Five cherry blossoms on a purple background |
|
1972– |
Standard of the Minister of Defense of Japan |
Five cherry blossoms on a magenta background |
100px |
1972– |
Naval standard of the Minister of Defense of Japan |
Five cherry blossoms on a magenta background |
100px |
1972– |
Standard of the Vice Minister of Defense of Japan |
Four cherry blossoms on a magenta background |
100px |
1972– |
Naval standard of the Vice Minister of Defense of Japan |
Four cherry blossoms on a magenta background |
|
|
Standard of Chief of Staff, Joint Staff |
|
|
|
Standard of Chief of Staff of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force |
|
100px |
|
Standard of Chief of Staff of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force |
|
100px |
1982– |
Standard of Chief of Staff of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force |
|
100px |
1965– |
Standard of vice admiral of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force |
|
100px |
1965– |
Standard of rear admiral of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force |
|
100px |
1965– |
Standard of commodore of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force |
|
100px
100px |
1965– |
Standards of commander of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force |
|
100px |
1965– |
Standard of senior captain of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force |
|
|
1905–1945, 2011– |
The "Z flag", unofficial naval ensign |
Derived from International maritime signal flag "Z" Made famous by its use to signal the opening of the Battle of Tsushima |
100px |
|
Flag of composite forces chief of staff of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force |
|
100px |
1972– |
Flag of infantry battalion group of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force |
|
100px |
1982– |
Flag of air defense command of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force |
|
|
1870–1945 |
War flag of the Imperial Japanese Army |
Centered sun disc with 16 rays on a white field |
100px |
1889–1945 |
Standard of admiral of the Imperial Japanese Navy |
|
100px |
1914–1945 |
Standard of vice admiral of the Imperial Japanese Navy |
|
100px |
1914–1945 |
Standard of rear admiral of the Imperial Japanese Navy |
|
100px |
1914–1945 |
Standard of commodore of the Imperial Japanese Navy |
|
100px |
–1945 |
Standard of commander of the Imperial Japanese Navy |
|
100px |
–1945 |
Standard of senior captain of the Imperial Japanese Navy |
|
100px |
–1945 |
Standard of duty ship of the Imperial Japanese Navy |
|
Flag |
Prefecture |
Geocode |
Description |
|
Aichi |
JP-23 |
Stylised hiragana of あいち (Aichi). The emblem also expresses sunrise and wave to indicate Aichi's location facing the Pacific Ocean. |
|
Akita |
JP-05 |
Stylised katakana of ア (a), the first syllable of "Akita". |
|
Aomori |
JP-02 |
Stylised map of the prefecture. |
|
Chiba |
JP-12 |
Stylised katakana of チバ (Chiba). Blue stands for hope and progress, yellow for prefecture flower, rapeseed. |
|
Ehime |
JP-38 |
Yellow stands for happiness, green for peace and white for simplicity and purity. The mon represents orange, the prefectural flower. |
|
Fukui |
JP-18 |
Stylised katakana of フクイ (Fukui). The emblem stands for harmony and cooperation of people. |
|
Fukuoka |
JP-40 |
Stylised hiragana of ふく (fuku). It also represents ume (plum), the prefectural flower. |
|
Fukushima |
JP-07 |
Stylised hiragana of ふ (fu). |
|
Gifu |
JP-21 |
Stylised kanji 岐 (gi). The emblem expresses peace and harmony. The green stands for the nature of Gifu. |
|
Gunma |
JP-10 |
Stylised kanji 群 (gun) 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. |
|
Hiroshima |
JP-34 |
Stylized katakana of ヒ (hi). |
|
Hokkaidō |
JP-01 |
A 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. |
|
Hyōgo |
JP-28 |
Stylized kanji of 兵 (hyō). It also represents the stylised map of the prefecture, facing the Seto Inland Sea and the Sea of Japan. |
|
Ibaraki |
JP-08 |
The prefectural flower rose on blue field. Blue stands for the Pacific Ocean and Mount Tsukuba. |
|
Ishikawa |
JP-17 |
The mon is a stylised form of its name in kanji, 石川 (Ishikawa). It also represents the stylised map of the prefecture. |
|
Iwate |
JP-03 |
Stylised kanji of 岩 (iwa) which symbolises advanced progress. |
|
Kagawa |
JP-37 |
Stylised and slightly rotated katakana of カ (ka). It also represents mountains, as well as leaves of the olive, the prefectural tree. |
|
Kagoshima |
JP-46 |
Stylised map of the prefecture, with Sakurajima in the center. |
|
Karafuto |
N/A |
Stylised kanji of 太 (futo) in the form of three birch 樺 (kaba) leaves and fruit, making the rebus of 樺太 (Karafuto). Used from 1911–1945; the territory is now part of Russia. |
|
Kanagawa |
JP-14 |
Stylised kanji of 神 (ka). The Japanese national colours were chosen due to the Yokohama seaport, long used as a primary gateway into Japan, being located within the prefecture. |
|
Kōchi |
JP-39 |
Stylised hiragana of とさ (Tosa), the name of the former province. The mon also incorporates 90 degrees rotated katakana of コ (ko). |
|
Kumamoto |
JP-43 |
Stylised katakana of ク (ku). It also represents the stylised map of Kyūshū. |
|
Kyoto |
JP-26 |
Stylized kanji of 京 (kyō). |
|
Mie |
JP-24 |
Stylized hiragana of み (mi). The circle also represents pearls aquafarmed in the prefecture. |
|
Miyagi |
JP-04 |
Stylised hiragana of み (mi). It also represents the miyaginohagi (lespedeza), the prefectural flower. |
|
Miyazaki |
JP-45 |
Stylized katakana of ミ (mi). |
|
Nagano |
JP-20 |
Orange flag with white mon closer to the hoist. The mon is a stylized katakana of ナ (na). It also represents mountains mirrored on a lake. |
|
Nagasaki |
JP-42 |
Stylised 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. |
|
Nara |
JP-29 |
Stylised katakana of ナ (na). |
|
Niigata |
JP-15 |
The symbol on the top is a stylised kanji 新 (nii) of Niigata, while the left half of the circle is a stylised katakana for ガ (ga) and the right, タ (ta). |
|
OitaŌita |
JP-44 |
Three stylised kanji of 大 (ō). 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. |
|
Okayama |
JP-33 |
Stylized kanji of 岡 (oka). The simplified version uses the white symbol instead of gold. |
|
Okinawa |
JP-47 |
White letter O within a red disc on a white field. |
|
Ōsaka |
JP-27 |
The 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 mean the letter O. |
|
Saga |
JP-41 |
The mon is Japanese cinnamon, the prefectural flower. |
|
Saitama |
JP-11 |
Sixteen magatama (ornamental beads) representing the sun as well as development and strength. Magatama were found in Sakitama Kofun (ancient tombs), Gyōda, which is the origin of the name of the prefecture. White stands for purity and friendship. |
|
Shiga |
JP-25 |
Stylised katakana of シガ (Shiga). The circle in the centre represents Lake Biwa. |
|
Shimane |
JP-32 |
Four stylised katakana of マ (ma). In Japanese, "four" is shi. |
|
Shizuoka |
JP-22 |
Stylised 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. |
|
Tochigi |
JP-09 |
Stylised kanji of 栃 (tochi) and kanji 木 (gi) with three arrows. The flag represents improvement and active motion. |
|
Tokushima |
JP-36 |
Stylised hiragana of とく (toku). It also represents a flying bird. |
|
Tokyo |
JP-13 |
The sun represents the developing capital city Tokyo. This is the official "metropolitan flag", used on formal occasions. See Insignias of Tokyo for details. |
|
The symbol at the centre consists of three arcs combined to resemble a ginkgo leaf and represent T for Tokyo.[2] This is the official "symbol flag", used more frequently than the flag (crest) above. See Insignias of Tokyo for details. |
|
Tottori |
JP-31 |
The symbol is meant to represent the hiragana と (to) and a bird (tori) to form a rebus of Tottori. |
|
Toyama |
JP-16 |
The symbol is meant to represent the hiragana と (to) and two mountains (yama) to form a rebus of Toyama. It also represents Mount Tateyama. |
|
Wakayama |
JP-30 |
Stylised katakana of ワ (wa). |
|
Yamagata |
JP-06 |
Three mountains (yama). 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. |
|
Yamaguchi |
JP-35 |
Stylised kanji of 山口 (Yamaguchi). The emblem represents a bird flying towards the sun and stands for cooperation and progress of people. |
|
Yamanashi |
JP-19 |
Stylised kanji of 山 (yama) in the centre of Mount Fuji. Purple represents the grape, a popular product of Yamanashi. |