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# Tokyo (Japan)

## Tōkyō, 東京都

Last modified: 2026-08-29 by zachary harden
Keywords: tokyo | tōkyōjapan | sun: 6-rays (white) | tokyo metropolitan government | iwo-jima |
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image by Kazutaka Nishiura, 23 March 2015

- Overview
- Description of the flag
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government
- Prefecture (1931-1943)
- Tokyo Sports Association
- Tokyo ku
- Links to Tokyo ku

See also:

- Tokyo Fire Department Flags
- Tokyo Fire Department Rank Flags
- Tokyo Fire Department Specialized Flags
- Tokyo Prefectural National Sports Festival (Kokutai) Flag
- Tokyo Big6 Baseball League
- Japanese Subdivisions
- Clickable map of Tokyo-to (Japan)
- Japan

## Overview

In Modern Times, the Edo Shogunate, also known as the Tokugawa Shogunate (1603-1868) collapsed with the restoration of imperial rule by Tokugawa Yoshinobu on November 9, 1867 (October 14, 1867, according to the old lunar calendar) and the Meiji Restoration coup d'état on January 3, 1868 (December 9, 1867, according to the old lunar calendar). "江戸" (English: Edo) came under the control of the new government with the surrender of Edo Castle on May 3, 1868 (April 11, 1868, according to the old lunar calendar). On July 1, 1868 (May 12, 1868, according to the old lunar calendar), the new government established the "江戸県" (English: Edo Prefecture) , and on September 3, 1868 (July 17, 1868, according to the old lunar calendar) when Edo was renamed Tokyo, Edo Prefecture was also renamed "とうきょうふしょう" (English: Tokyo Prefecture). When Emperor Meiji entered the Imperial Palace (Tokyo Castle, formerly Edo Castle) in 1869, Tokyo became the de facto capital of modern Japan (although some argue that there is no legal basis for Tokyo being the capital).
Esteban Rivera, 22 July 2026

## Description of the flag

construction sheet; image located by Esteban Rivera, 22 July 2026

White sun with 6 rays on dark purple colour field. The sun is stylized Kanji character of Tokyo-Nihon which represents developing capital city Tokyo. Dark purple has been popular colour in Tokyo from old days. Adopted 1 October 1964.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 6 May 1998

The emblem is 4/6 of the height of the flag, ratio is 2:3.
Zachary Harden, 10 September 2009

The emblem was adopted on Nov 2nd 1943 by Notice No 464. The flag was adopted on Oct 1st 1964 by Notice No 1042 celebrating Tokyo Olympic Games. The flag proportion is 2: 3. The height of the emblem is 4/6 height of the flag.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 23 March 2015

[The background color] is denominated officially "江戸紫" (Romanized Edomurasaki, English: Edo Purple).
Esteban Rivera, 22 July 2026

## Tōkyō Metropolitan Government

image by Eugene Ipavec, 8 December 2005

image by Eugene Ipavec, 8 December 2005

See also:

- Construction sheet at www.reiki.metro.tokyo.jp

Tokyo is a special capital district called Tokyo Metropolitan which contains 23 ku and lots of cities, town and villages.

The image of green emblem on white was adopted as Tokyo symbol flag on June 1, 1990 .The stylized "T" of Tokyo in green is in the center of white background which symbolizes the development, prosperity and peacefulness of Tokyo. The flag is used for casual event like sports assembly. Meanwhile, the purple flag remains unchanged and is still used as Tokyo prefecture flag for more formal events. The two flags are hoisting in front of Tokyo metropolitan government building.
Nozomi Kariyasu19 November 2005

The prefecture symbol of the sun radiating in the 6 directions symbolises the metropolitan area becoming magnificent as it shines out into the universe.
Jonathan Dixon, 11 September 2009

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Symbol Mark Selection Committee selected [the above] design from among twenty candidates, and it was officially adopted as the symbol of Tokyo on June 1, 1989.
Esteban Rivera, 22 July 2026

## Prefecture (1931-1943)

prefecture emblem; image located by Esteban Rivera, 22 July 2026

The Tōkyō Metropolitan System Law No. 89 of 1943 promulgated on June 1, 1943 which entered into force on July 1, 1943 established the Tōkyō Metropolitan Government and abolished both the Tōkyō Prefecture (established on July 14, 1871) and Tōkyō City (established on May 1, 1889). Since the jurisdictional areas of the Tokyo Metropolis and the former Tokyo Prefecture were identical, the term "Tokyo Metropolis" could be used to refer to the former prefectural area; however, the specific designation for the former Tokyo City area ceased to exist, and the area came to be known as the "Tokyo Metropolitan Wards".
Esteban Rivera, 22 July 2026

## Tokyo Sports Association

image by Zachary Harden, 19 December 2017

[The] Tokyo Sports Association has a flag, which can be seen at https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DKjT6ZvUQAEW42Z.jpg. It is split into four sections; blue, white, yellow and white going clockwise. The name of the association is on the hoist size, in small print in black, and the emblem of Tokyo Prefecture (in red) is above a wreath. There is also a variant where the flag is a plain blue/white/yellow/white banner and used on lapel pins and other situations to signify membership in formal dress.
Zachary Harden, 15 November 2017

### Tokyo Metropolitan Sports Association for Persons with Disabilities

image by Zachary Harden, 17 January 2022

The flag is their logo placed in the center of a white field. The symbol was designed to show that sports can be for everyone and uses the colors of blue and green to show the athletes can compete on the ground or in the air. These two characters form an S to symbolize it is a sport organization.
Zachary Harden, 17 January 2022

## Tōkyō ku

Japanese 46 prefectures are composed of cities, towns and villages while only Metropolitan Tōkyō are composed of 23 ku (special districts) in addition to 27 cities, 5 towns and 8 villages including Ogasawara Islands because Metropolitan Tōkyō has big population (14 million).

The ku (special district) concept is more important and larger than ordinary Japanese city and some of them have their own flags which I have been investigating and collecting official government document on their coat-or-arms and flags with specifications.

I think these flags have never been published in a book.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 22 December 1998

Tōkyō main prefecture flag was adopted October 1, 1964 and no ku flag was adopted prior to that date. About half of all follow main prefecture's field colour but the rest use their own preference in colours which seem to be either popular or traditional colour in the ku. There is no such law in Tokyo main prefecture as ku must use same field colour.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 26 March 1999

The T-symbol flag is called the Tokyo-to symbol flag (the symbol is called the "symbol mark", in words borrowed from English). I would say it is a bit like a council in other parts of the world with an older flag and a logo-flag, not that the logo-flag is a government flag as could be inferred above.
Jonathan Dixon, 11 September 2009

### Links to Tōkyō subdivisions

Wards (ku) [23] Adachi Arakawa Bunkyo Chiyoda Chuo Edogawa Itabashi Katsushika Kita Koto Meguro Minato Nakano Nerima Ohta/Ota Setagaya Shibuya Shinagawa Shinjuku Suginami Sumida Taitou Toshima | Cities (shi/si) [26] Akiruno Akishima Chofu Fuchu Fussa Hachioji Hamura Higashikurume Higashimurayama Higashiyamato Hino Inagi Kiyose Kodaira Koganei Kokubunji Komae Kunitachi Machida Mitaka Musashimurayama Musashino Nishitokyo Ome Tachikawa Toma | Towns (machi) [3] Hinode Mizuho Okutama | Villages (mura) [4] Hinohara See also Islands | Islands (machi) [9] Aogashima mura Hachijo Kouzushima Mikurashima Miyake Niijima mura Ogasawara mura Oshima Toshima