Flag of Japan facts for kids

The flag of Japan

The flag of Japanese Navy

The flag of Japan is a very famous symbol of the country. It shows a bright red circle, which looks like the sun, on a plain white background. In Japan, people formally call this flag "Nisshoki" (日章旗). But most Japanese people simply call it "Hinomaru" (日の丸). This name means "circle of the sun."

The flag represents the warmth and energy of the sun. Its main colors are red and white.

The Japanese Navy Flag

The Japanese navy uses a slightly different flag. This flag also has a red sun, but it includes many rays coming out from the sun. This design is often called the "Rising Sun Flag."

What the Flag Means

The red circle on the flag stands for the sun. Japan is often called the "Land of the Rising Sun." The white background means honesty and purity. Together, the colors and design show important values for the Japanese people.

Images for kids

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  The fleet of Kuki Yoshitaka in 1593.

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  Tokugawa shogunate warship Asahi Maru in 1856.

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  Progression During the Imperial Inspection at Ou, Matsushima. Ukiyo-e by Hiroshige III (1876)

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  1930s photo of a military enrollment. The Hinomaru is displayed on the house and held by several children.

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  Propaganda poster promoting harmony among Japanese, Chinese, and Manchu. The caption in Chinese (read right to left) reads "With the cooperation of Japan, China, and Manchukuo, the world can be in peace".

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  The Hinomaru is lowered in Seoul, Korea, on 9 September 1945, the day of the surrender.

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  The Hinomaru being raised at the United Nations headquarters in New York City in 1956

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  The Law Regarding the National Flag and National Anthem as it appears in the Official Gazette on 15 August 1999

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  Flag of Japan flying

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  An example of a Hinomaru Yosegaki from World War II

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  Takeru Kobayashi wears a hachimaki.

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  A Hinomaru bentō.

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  Hinomaru Teppo Ebi

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  A flag-waving crowd greet the Imperial Family after Emperor Naruhito's ascension to the throne at the Imperial Palace, 4 May 2019.

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  A graduation ceremony in Hokkaido Prefecture with both the Hinomaru and the flag of Hokkaido Prefecture. The school's own flag is on a staff to the speakers' right.

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  An illustration of the Japanese army occupying Khabarovsk, 1920. Both Hinomaru and the Rising Sun Flag (in background) are depicted

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  The national flag flying with the flags of Okinawa Prefecture and Urasoe City

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  Japanese flag at the Meiji Memorial.

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  Japan Self-Defense Forces honor guards holding the national flag during Mike Pence's visit.

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  Flags of Japan and other G7 states flying in Toronto.

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  A series of Japanese flags in a school entrance.

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  Yokohama City (left) and the Hinomaru (center) flying on Yokohama Harbor.

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  Firefighters in Tokyo holding the Japanese national flag during a ceremony.

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  Large flags of Japan at the Tokyo Olympic Stadium during the final match of the East Asian Football Championship.(14 February 2010)

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  Totenko-Rooster Crows with hinomaru and lady, 1909

See also

In Spanish: Bandera de Japón para niños