This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website

Japanese Flags: Early Meiji Era

Last modified: 2014-09-20 by zoltán horváth
Keywords: meiji era: japan | hinomaru | rising sun |
Links: FOTW homepage | search | disclaimer and copyright | write us | mirrors



See also:

Some time ago I have sent (and improved) some images of Imperial Japanese Army flags. I have since found out that the dimensions were not in Anglo-American feet and inches, but in Japanese 'feet' (shaku) and 'inches' (sun). Accordingly the flag images have to be modified.
To put it simply, one 'shaku' equals exactly 10/33 of one metric metre. One 'sun' is one-tenth of a 'shaku', and a 'bu' is one-tenth of a 'sun'.
Miles Li, 20 April 2013


1870 Decrees

1870 Merchant Ship's National Flag
[Flag in decree 57, 1870]
image by Antonio Martins


Army National Flag
Army National flag, 1870
image by Miles Li, 20 April 2013

In 1870 Daijô-kan (the Great Council of State) made three separate promulgations regarding "national flag[s]".

  • February: the "Merchant Ship's National Flag" would be the Hinomaru, proportions 7:10, the sun disc 3/5 of the width of the flag, placed 1:100 the length of the flag towards the hoist.
  • May: the "Army National Flag" would be the 16-ray "rising sun" flag, 4 feet 4 inches by 5 feet, the sun disc 1/3 the length of the flag.
  • October: the "Navy National Flag" would be the Hinomaru, proportions 2:3, the sun disc 3/5 of the width of the flag, placed centrally; the Naval Jack identical except proportions 3:4.

So Japan of the early Meiji era ended up with four "national flags", with the army using the 16-ray "Rising Sun" some 20 years before the navy did; yet although the naval ensign at the time was the Hinomaru, it was technically a distinct flag from both the civil ensign and the naval jack!
Miles Li, 29-31 May 2008

Army National Flag
Adopted May 15, 1870; first presented January 23, 1874; abolished December 2, 1879. Dimensions: 5 shaku by 4 shaku 4 sun (approx. 1.51m by 1.33m)
Miles Li, 20 April 2013


1874 Changes

The sun ray width is not same but different according to construction sheet.

Imperial Army Infantry Regimental Color - 1874
Imperial Army Infantry Regimental Color - 1874sinister hoist icon
image by Kazutaka Nishiura, 20 March 2014

Adopted on Dec 12 1874 by Great Council of State Proclamation No 130.
16 sun rays with purple fringe and finial of Imperial crest of golden chrysanthemum on three facets. The regimental color was revised on Apr 9th 1917.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 20 March 2014


1879 Changes

Infantry Regimental Colour - 1879
Infantry Regimental Colour in 1879 sinister hoist icon
image by Miles Li, 21 September 2008

Infantry Colour
Adopted December 2, 1879 as Infantry Regimental Colour .Dimensions: 3 shaku by 2 shaku 6 sun 4 bu (approx. 0.91m by 0.8m), with gold edges of unspecified width and purple fringes 4 sun (approx. 0.12m) wide.
Miles Li, 20 April 2013


Cavalry Standard - 1879
Cavalry/Artillary Colour in 1879 sinister hoist icon
image by Miles Li, 21 September 2008

1879: Daijô-kan abolished the "Army National Flag" on December 2, in favour of the Infantry Regimental Colours and the Cavalry/Artillery Regimental Standards.
The Infantry Regimental Colour was 2 feet 6 1/4 inches by 3 feet in dimensions, whereas the Cavalry/Artillery Regimental Standard was 2 feet 1 inch by 2 feet 1 inch. Both were 16-ray "Rising Sun" flags with the sun disc at the centre, and a white panel at the lower hoist, 7 inches by 8 inches, bearing the name of the regiment in black kanji. There were gold edges on all four sides, plus purple (in practice a bluish purple) fringes on three sides and white sleeve at the hoist. Black flagpole with a finial displaying golden chrysanthemum (the Imperial Mon) on three facets.
It should be noted, however, that it took the Japanese some years to amalgamate their cavalry and artillery units into regiments. Regimental standards for artillery were abolished on January 10, 1885, without ever being presented, while the first regimental standard for cavalry was not presented until November 18, 1896.
Miles Li,
29-31 May 2008

Cavalry Standard
Adopted December 2, 1879 as Cavalry and Artillery Squadron Standard. Artillery Standards were suppressed on January 10, 1885; Cavalry upgraded to Regimental Standards on November 18, 1896. Dimensions: 2 shaku 1 sun (approx. 0.64m) each side, with gold edges of unspecified width and purple fringes 4 sun (approx. 0.12m) wide.
Miles Li, 20 April 2013


Infantry Regimental Colour - 1879
Reserve Infantry Colour in 1879 sinister hoist icon
image by Miles Li, 31 May 2008

1885: On January 10 Daijô-kan not only abolished the artillery regimental standards, but also instituted the Reserve Infantry Regimental Colours. These would have their fringes in red, but were otherwise identical to the purple-fringed (Regular) Infantry Regimental Colours.
In interesting aspect of the Imperial Japanese Army was that they tended to take their regimental flags into battle, even during World War II. Sometimes these got damaged so much that only the poles, the finials and the fringes remained - an example, from the 57th Infantry Regiment, is on display in Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo. Moreover, at the end of WWII the IJA was ordered to burn their regimental flags to prevent them from falling into the hands of the Allies. Only one complete flag, from the 321st Infantry Regiment, escaped annihilation, and is now also on display at Yasukuni Shrine.
Miles Li, 29-31 May 2008


1885 Changes

Imperial Army Reserve Infantry Regimental Color - 1885

Imperial Army Reserve Infantry Regimental Color - 1885 sinister hoist icon
image by Miles Li, 20 April 2013

Imperial Army Reserve Infantry Regimental Color - 1885sinister hoist icon
image by Kazutaka Nishiura, 20 March 2014

Reserve Infantry Colour
Adopted January 10, 1885 as Reserve Infantry Regimental Colour .Dimensions: 3 shaku by 2 shaku 6 sun 4 bu (approx. 0.91m by 0.8m), with gold edges of unspecified width and red fringes 4 sun (approx. 0.12m) wide.
Miles Li, 20 April 2013

Adopted on Mar 9th 1885 by Great Council of State Proclamation No 6
16 sun rays with red fringe and finial of Imperial crest of golden chrysanthemum on three facets. All Reserve Infantry Colors were returned to Emperor in 1919.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 20 March 2014


1896 Changes

Imperial Army Cavalry Regimental Color - 1896
Imperial Army Cavalry Regimental Color - 1896
image by Kazutaka Nishiura, 20 March 2014

Adopted on Sep 7th 1896 by Imperial Ordinance No 304
16 sun rays with purple fringe and finial of Imperial crest of golden chrysanthemum on three facets.
The Regiment Color is smaller than Infantry Regimental Color and was revised on Apr 9th 1917.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 20 March 2014