Circle of the Sun: How Japan Got Its Flag
Of the many national flags in the world, the Japanese flag is one of the easiest to remember, because of its simple design: a deep red circle on a white background.
The official name of the Japanese flag is Nisshoki, or "flag of the sun." It is also known as the Hinomaru, or "circle of the sun."
But why is the sun associated with Japan, and why is this flag red and white?
Japan's name in Japanese is Nihon, which means "origin of the sun." This name dates back to the early seventh century, when Prince Shotoku of Japan wrote a letter to the Chinese emperor from "the country where the sun rises."
However, the sun already played an important part in Japanese culture, with the goddess of the sun believed to be the ancestor of the Japanese emperors.
In the eighth century, there is a record of Emperor Monmu celebrating the New Year with a flag that had a gold sun on it, but the red and white colors came later.
Today, red and white are traditionally used for celebrations in Japan, and also as the colors for rival teams in many events. This is said to date back to the 12th century Genpei War between the Taira and Minamoto clans. The two sides identified their armies by their colors: red flags for the Taira and white flags for the Minamoto.
After the war was over, it is said that a white flag with a red circle on it was used to show national unity.
During the Edo period (1603 to 1868), this flag was used to identify Japanese trading ships. And the Meiji government first used it as a national flag in 1870.
During World War II, the Hinomaru became associated with Japanese militarism. Although some people are still against the use of the Hinomaru, it was officially made the national flag of Japan in 1999.
