Flag of Japan

Country

Flag of Japan uses white field with a centred crimson disc. Ratio 2:3 and current adoption August 13, 1999.

Hoist Ratio 2:3 Fly

Flag Reference

Flag	Flag of Japan
Entity Type	Country
Identifier	JP / JPN
Region	Eastern Asia

Flag Specifications

Current Adoption	August 13, 1999
First Documented Use	1870
Proportion	2:3
Shape	Rectangle
Colours	White, Crimson
Construction	White field with a centred crimson disc
Common Name	Hinomaru (the circle of the sun)

Documented Colour Values

Colour	Appearance	HEX	RGB	CMYK
White		#FFFFFF	255, 255, 255	0, 0, 0, 0
Crimson		#BC002D	188, 0, 45	0, 100, 76, 26

Design and Symbolism

White	purity and honesty.
Crimson	the sun, sincerity and passion.
Hinomaru	“Circle of the sun” — the sun goddess Amaterasu, from whom the imperial line is traditionally descended, and the name Nippon, “origin of the sun”.

Proportions

Ratio	2:3
Hoist	2 units
Fly	3 units

About the Flag of Japan

White field with a centred crimson disc The recorded proportion is 2:3. Within this library it is grouped with plain field with a central emblem designs.

Colours and construction

The reference palette stored for Japan is White (#FFFFFF) and Crimson (#BC002D). The colour table above is intended for digital reference; where an issuing authority publishes a different colour standard, that specification takes precedence.

Symbols and recorded meaning

Hinomaru: “Circle of the sun” — the sun goddess Amaterasu, from whom the imperial line is traditionally descended, and the name Nippon, “origin of the sun”.

History and adoption record

The design record traces first use to 1870. The adoption field for the present record is August 13, 1999.

Additional flag context

The disc was moved to the exact centre in 1999, when a law finally fixed the flag's specification; it had previously sat slightly toward the hoist.

The same law changed the proportions from 7:10 to 2:3 and set the disc's diameter at three fifths of the flag's height.

The design is one of the simplest in the world — one shape, two colours — and is frequently cited as the model of good flag design.

How to identify this flag

For quick identification, look for White field with a centred crimson disc, a 2:3 proportion and the visible hinomaru. Use the comparison and design-family links on this page when another flag has a similar palette or layout.

Verification sources

Flags of the World — Japan — Specialist vexillological reference

Other plain field with a central emblem flags

See all

Facts about the Flag of Japan

Japan is recorded as white field with a centred crimson disc.
The reference proportion for the flag of Japan is 2:3.
The stored palette for Japan contains White and Crimson.
The adoption field for this country flag record is August 13, 1999.
The design record traces first use to 1870.
Its construction is grouped with the plain field with a central emblem design family in this library.
Hinomaru: “Circle of the sun” — the sun goddess Amaterasu, from whom the imperial line is traditionally descended, and the name Nippon, “origin of the sun”.
The disc was moved to the exact centre in 1999, when a law finally fixed the flag's specification; it had previously sat slightly toward the hoist.
The same law changed the proportions from 7:10 to 2:3 and set the disc's diameter at three fifths of the flag's height.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Flag of Japan

What does the flag of Japan look like?

White field with a centred crimson disc, with a recorded proportion of 2:3.

What proportion is recorded for the flag of Japan?

The reference proportion stored for this flag is 2:3.

Which colours are recorded for the flag of Japan?

The reference palette lists White #FFFFFF and Crimson #BC002D.

What do the symbols on the flag of Japan represent?

Hinomaru — “Circle of the sun” — the sun goddess Amaterasu, from whom the imperial line is traditionally descended, and the name Nippon, “origin of the sun”.

When was the present flag record for Japan adopted?

The adoption field in this record is August 13, 1999.

Which design family does the flag of Japan belong to?

WorldFlags.online groups it with plain field with a central emblem designs for visual browsing; that classification describes construction, not necessarily historical ancestry.

Where can I verify information about the flag of Japan?

The verification-source section on this page links to an official, governmental or specialist reference used to check the underlying record. Source wording is not copied into the article.