Flag of Japan: military and imperial. History of the Japanese flag. What is Japan's flag? What does the Japanese flag look like?
The flag of Japan is a rectangular panel with an aspect ratio of 2 to 3, although the original aspect ratio was 7 to 10. The Japanese flag has a white base with a red circle in the middle. Japan's location, in the very east of Asia, at the place where the sun rises, gave the country the name "Land of the Rising Sun". This name is displayed in the country's national flag, where the sun is represented as a red circle.
History of the Flag of Japan
Japan has been associated with the symbol of the sun since at least the seventeenth century, and although the exact origins of the Japanese flag are unknown, most researchers believe that it is related to the country's nickname. In other versions, the circle represents the sun goddess Amaterasu, from whom the imperial family of Japan is said to have descended. The circle-sun flag was also used by the shogun in the thirteenth century when the Japanese fought the Mongols.
The flag of Japan, also called the hinomaru, became official in 1870 as a trade flag, and was the first national flag adopted in Japan from 1870 to 1885, when it became the country's de facto flag. Use of the flag was banned during the occupation of Japan after World War II until 1947, when the ban began to be lifted.
In 1999, a law was passed establishing the Japanese Hinomaru flag as the country's official national flag.
The flag was approved on August 13, 1999. The first flags with a red sun are usually attributed to 1854. It was then that a white banner with a red circle appeared on Japanese merchant ships.
Description
The flag of Japan is a white rectangular panel with an image of a red sun. The flag has been mentioned since the 13th century, when the emperor was personified with the sun. Has a ratio of 2:3.
Symbolism
The rising sun has been a symbol of the Japanese since the 7th century. It is documented that the inhabitants of the islands called the “Land of the Rising Sun” since 607. This name can still be found today.
In the center of the flag is not the image of the sun, but the emblem of the country - a golden chrysanthemum.
Historical flags of Japan
Similar flags
Sources
- "Flags Through the Ages and Across the World", Smith Whitney, 1975. - ISBN 0-07-059093-1.
- "Flag Lore Of All Nations", Smith Whitney, 2001. - ISBN 0-7613-1753-8.
- "Modern Japan A Social and Political History", Tipton Elise, 2002. - ISBN 978-0-415-18538-7.
- "Japan – Restless Competitor The Pursuit of Economic Nationalism", Trevor Malcolm, 2001. - ISBN 978-1-903350-02-7.
The Japanese are very sensitive to state symbols. The flag, coat of arms, anthem - all this maximally reflects their traditionalist culture. What important symbols are hidden behind the simple red and white cloth and what is its history? What symbols does the fleet use?
Modern flag of Japan
The flag currently in use and very recognizable all over the world is a white cloth with a red circle in the center. This image is intended to symbolize the sunrise, which is also mentioned in the unofficial name of the country. In addition to the direct drawing, colors also matter. Thus, white expresses integrity and purity, and red - sincerity, warmth and brightness. After World War II, this state symbol was not popular for some time, but since August 13, 1999, it has been back in use. Its official name is "nisshoki". Translated into Russian it means “solar flag”. However, the more well-known phrase is “hi-no-maru”, which means “sun disk”. In general, three separate meanings can be distinguished in such an image. Firstly, the Emperor of Japan is considered a man of divine origin, that is, the son of the sun. Secondly, in Shintoism, which is the traditional Japanese religious belief system, red signifies life, fire and energy. Thirdly, the geographical location of the country also matters. It was previously believed that the Japanese archipelago is located at the eastern edge of the earth, from which the sun rises.
History of origin
It is believed that the first versions of hi-no-maru appeared in the Heian era. Then this symbol was depicted on the fans of commanders in order to attract the power of the heavenly body and transfer it to the troops. History of the flag
Japan has preserved the legend that the first Japanese defeated the enemy due to the fact that there was a sun behind him, the rays of which blinded his opponents. The second legend mentions Nichiren, who created the flag after the Mongol invasion attempts and presented it to the shogun. There is also a version that the samurai presented the banner with a red circle. The hi-no-maru has been used as a state symbol since the Meiji Restoration. At that time, the Japanese flag was installed on every merchant ship. The country opened up to the world after a long period of self-isolation; it needed a way to help introduce itself to other members of the global community. After World War II, the image became associated with Japanese militarism, so discussions began in the state about changing the cloth. The solar circle aroused strong hostility among the neighbors, but during the course of active economic, political and social transformations, the disputes came to naught. It was only in the nineties that the law on the national flag and anthem was passed, establishing that the traditional image would be used. The day of adoption of the law is now celebrated as a day of state symbols.
What does the flag look like?
The image doesn't just have to include a white background and a red circle, it's clearly standardized. What kind of flag Japan has is determined by state law, according to which the image of the solar disk must be scarlet. The diameter of the circle should be three-fifths of the width of the panel, its location shifted one hundredth to the shaft. The horizontal of the flag is to the vertical as seven to ten. These sizes are formed on the basis of the idea that this ratio of white and scarlet is as harmonious as possible. In some cases
Bright red color is also used to depict the solar disk.
Imperial standard
In its essence and history, the usual state symbol is that of Japan, since it was originally used by the rulers. But at the moment, the ruling family also has its own symbolism. In part, the imperial standard coincides with the image of the unofficial state emblem - the chrysanthemum flower is the second most popular national symbol after the sun. The image must have sixteen yellow petals, arranged in a double row. The design is called "kikukamonse". The background for it is usually a red cloth. The history of this image says that it was created by Emperor Gotoba, a great lover of chrysanthemums. It was officially recognized in 1869. There is also a beautiful old legend associated with chrysanthemums. She says that in ancient times, a Chinese emperor learned of the existence of a plant from which a vital elixir could be made. It was called a chrysanthemum and grew on one of the nearby islands. Only pure-hearted people could pick a magical plant. The cruel emperor was a sinner, so he sent three hundred girls and young boys to the island. They were fascinated by this place and did not return to China, founding a new country. This is how Japan appeared.
Japanese war flag
The regular Japanese army was created during the Armed Forces were formed with the help of foreign advisers and received their own symbols. They did not use the main national flag of Japan, but their own version. On a white cloth, sixteen wide rays extend from the red circle. This number has special meaning for the Japanese. The number sixteen is associated with the emperor. Japan fought under this flag from the nineteenth to the early twentieth centuries. By the thirties, the transition to national symbols began. The rays were removed, and the image of the solar disk was sometimes shifted to emphasize that
Historical fact about military symbols
The samurai spirit was cultivated in the Japanese army, but for most of the rank and file it was not very close. Thoughts about home and relatives were more important to them. Because of this, a special tradition arose based on state symbols. When a soldier went to the front, he took with him a small Japanese flag, on which relatives and friends wrote wishes or special prayers for him. This canvas made of natural thin silk was a kind of gift from family, study or work colleagues, and sometimes from co-workers. The flag tradition was so widespread that privates had a special small bag for it in their duffel bags. Today, many museums store such mementos from the war.
Official name: 日章旗 (nisshoki) – “national flag”
Common name: 日の丸 (hinomaru) – “sun circle”
Date of official adoption: August 13, 1999
Colors: white, scarlet
The choice of flag was, of course, influenced by the geographical location of the country. In Ancient China, which, according to its inhabitants, was a “middle empire,” it was believed that Japan was located on the easternmost edge of the earth and the sun came from there. The same idea has taken hold in Japan itself. Thus, the flag became the personification of the rising sun.
Construction of the flag.
According to the “Law on the National Anthem and National Flag”, japanese national flag is an image of a scarlet disk on a white background. The diameter of the solar circle is 3/5 of the width of the flag. The image itself is shifted 1/100 towards the shaft. The traditional horizontal to vertical ratio is 7:10. This dimensional ratio of the parts of the flag is enshrined in the appendix to the “Law on the National Flag and the National Anthem”, however, initially it comes from the general idea that this particular ratio of the white and red parts is the most harmonious.
The official colors used in the flag are white and scarlet, but bright red is often used instead of scarlet.
National anthem of Japan
General information.
Official name: 国歌 (cocca)
Common name: “君が代” (kimi ga yo) – according to the first line
As in the case of the national flag, the need to have modern state attributes appeared in Japan with the opening of the country in . In 1888, "Kimi ga yo" was first adopted as the country's official anthem.
Text.
The text for the hymn was chosen from the early 10th century poetic anthology Kokinshu (Collection of Old and New Songs). So, despite the fact that the idea of adopting an anthem appeared in Japan later than in other countries, now the words of its anthem are the most ancient in the world. The author of the text is unknown. However, this five-line was quite popular and was included in later poetry collections, so its words have changed somewhat and the current version of the text differs from the original one.
A special feature of the five-line tanka is the large number of expressive means of language: epithets, figurative meanings of words, etc. That is why there is a need to interpret the meaning of what is written. So, for example, the first line – “Kimi ga yo” – causes great difficulty. the word "kimi" means "you" and is also a way of referring to the word "emperor". However, the generally accepted interpretation is the praise of the emperor, and the entire text proclaims the health resort to the sovereign.
In the era when these poems were composed, they were recited or sung. But the motive and manner of performance were exclusively traditional, so the music had to be brought into line with the musical norms of Western countries.
Music.
The very idea of adopting the anthem was first expressed by the Englishman John Fenton, who served as a conductor of the Japanese army. “Progressive” people of that time, who actively advocated reforms, provided him with the text of the tanka quintuple. However, the music composed by Fenton was considered unsuccessful because it lacked the proper degree of grandeur. After an unsuccessful attempt, the music department of the imperial court took up the matter, whose employee Hayashi Hiromori composed the music. After another military conductor, the German F. Eckert, edited this melody, it was first performed publicly on December 3, 1880. The official date of adoption of "Kimi ga yo" as the national anthem is considered to be 1888, when its music and lyrics were sent to all countries with which Japan had diplomatic relations.
As with the national flag, after the war the anthem became closely associated with a militaristic past. However, it was performed on NHK radio after the signing of the San Francisco Peace Treaty in 1951, and since 1953 it has been performed daily on the NHK television channel. In 1999, the anthem was again recognized as the official state anthem in the “Law on the National Anthem and National Flag.”
National emblem of Japan
General information.
Another symbol of the state is traditionally considered to be the coat of arms. However, Japan is an exception to this rule. There is simply no official national emblem of Japan.. This is explained by various factors, but the primary reason is that the chivalric traditions of medieval Europe were unknown in Japan until the second half of the 19th century. However, in Japan, for a long time, there was a symbol that performed the same function as the coat of arms in European states - it was the official sign of the ruling family. This is a chrysanthemum flower, which is the emblem of the Imperial House. More precisely, a sixteen-petalled chrysanthemum with a double row.
The official name of such a flower is 菊花紋章 (kikukamonsho: / kikkamonsho:) - “coat of arms in the form of a chrysanthemum flower.” It is often called the state emblem of the Land of the Rising Sun.
Story.
Emperor Gotoba, ruler (1183-1198), was a great lover of chrysanthemum flowers and began to use their image. This tradition was continued by others, and thus, by the tacit consent of the rulers, the chrysanthemum received the status of a sacred symbol of the imperial family.
Officially, the sixteen-petalled chrysanthemum was recognized as the coat of arms of the ruling imperial house in 1869 by order of the Meiji government. And in 1871, a decree was issued that secured the privilege of the imperial house to use the symbol, and persons who did not belong to the imperial family were strictly prohibited from using it. (This ban has now been lifted.)
During World War II, the chrysanthemum was actively used as a symbol of the Great Japanese Empire. It was attached to the bow of warships.
Symbolism.
The chrysanthemum, imported from China, became a symbol of happiness and wisdom in Japan. Also, the ancient Japanese often associated this bright flower, bursting with strength and energy, with the sun.
One of the many legends about the founding of Japan is associated with chrysanthemums. In ancient times, China was ruled by a cruel emperor. He was informed that on one of the nearest islands there was a chrysanthemum plant, from the juice of which a vital elixir could be prepared. But only a person with a pure heart and good intentions can pick a flower. The emperor and his courtiers were sinful people, and 300 young boys and girls were sent to the island who did not return to the cruel emperor; Fascinated by the nature of the island, they founded a new state - Japan.
Description
The sun flag is the official state symbol of Japan, one of the most laconic flags in the world. On the white canvas in the center there is a large red circle, symbolizing the rising sun, which in the Eastern tradition has many meanings, interpretations and traditions. The national flag of Japan has a width to length ratio of 2:3 and is placed horizontally on the staff.
Symbolism
The history of the symbolism of the modern flag of Japan goes back to the distant past - there is a legend that a flag with a schematic image of the sun was offered to the emperor of the country in the 13th century by Buddhist monks. The symbolism of the image of the rising sun has firmly merged with the traditions, culture and state symbols of this country.
Story
It is not known for certain where and when the first prototype of the modern Japanese flag appeared. But since the 7th century, the rising sun has been one of the most important symbols of the easternmost country in the world. During the years of national restoration, this particular image was chosen as the state symbol of the country, and since then the national flag of Japan has never changed.
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