Japan Flag Meaning: Hinomaru, Red Sun & Official Proportions
Japan’s national flag is a white field with a deep-red sun disc in the centre. Its official name is Nisshōki, while it is widely known as the Hinomaru.
What does Japan’s flag look like?
The flag has a plain white field with one deep-red circular disc exactly in the centre.
What does Hinomaru mean?
Hinomaru is commonly translated as “circle of the sun” or “sun disc.” The flag’s official legal name is Nisshōki.
Why is the sun used?
The sun has been associated with Japan for centuries, including in the country’s traditional description as the “land of the rising sun.” The disc creates a direct visual representation of that identity.
What do the colors mean?
Japan’s national-flag law defines a white field and deep-red sun disc but does not assign a detailed statutory symbolism to white and red. Popular explanations often connect white with purity and the red sun with vitality and national identity.
What are the official proportions?
The Government of Japan specifies a 2:3 height-to-width ratio. The red disc is centred and has a diameter equal to three-fifths of the flag’s height.
Is the Rising Sun flag the same thing?
No. The national flag is the plain Hinomaru/Nisshōki. Japan has also used separate military and naval “rising sun” designs with radiating rays; those should not be confused with the national flag.
Quick facts
| Official name | Nisshōki |
|---|---|
| Common name | Hinomaru |
| Field | White |
| Disc | Deep red |
| Ratio | 2:3 |
| Disc diameter | 3/5 of flag height |
