Japanese Flag

The national flag of Japan displays a red disc in the center with a white background. This red disk is in fact a representation of the rising sun which also signifies the development in the country. According to popular legend the Japanese flag is said to have its origins in the centuries during the Mongol invasion when a Buddhist priest had offered the symbol of the rising sun to the Japanese Emperor. The Japanese flag is also referred to as the Hinomaru, Nihon no Kokki and Nisshoki .

The Japanese flag had found a place even on samurai flags in the 12 th and 13 th centuries and also on the military banners used by the Japanese army during the Sengoku period. The present flag of Japan gained official status in the year of 1854 on the 7 th of August. This official status was granted to the Hinomaru following the establishment of business relations of Japan with the west. This status was conferred on the Hinomaru so that it could represent Japan on the international sphere.

The sun disk on the Japanese national flag came to be permanent feature during the Meiji period of restoration in 1868. However the flag was adopted as the civil ensign only on January 27 in 1870. Beside the national flag each of Japan's 47 prefectures has a national flag of their own but all of which have aimed at preserving some characteristic of the national flag. However, the Hinomaru's exact history is not known but it is an established fact that the Hinomaru has been representing the nation of Japan for over 1000 years.