Flag of the Empire of Japan

What the flag looks like

A white field with a red disc set towards the hoist, from which sixteen red rays spread out to the edges.

What it means

The red disc is the sun, as on Japan's national flag; the rayed version was the army flag from 1870 and the naval ensign from 1889, while the national flag remained the plain Hinomaru.

How to remember it

The Rising Sun Flag, carried by Japan's armed forces during its wars of conquest in Asia, sends sixteen red rays out from an off-center sun; Japan's national flag, then and now, is the plain red disc.

Fun facts

• Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force has used the same sixteen-ray design as its ensign since 1954.
• The flag is highly controversial in South Korea and China, where many see it as a symbol of Japanese wartime aggression and colonial rule.

Empire of Japan at a glance

Existed

1868–1947

Flag used

Naval ensign from 1889

Today

Japan

Capital

Tokyo

Region

1868–1947

Languages

Japanese

Currency

Japanese yen (¥)

Flag adopted

1889

Flags often confused with the Empire of Japan

• Japan: The Rising Sun Flag and Japan's national flag both show a red sun on white. The Rising Sun Flag has an off-center sun with sixteen red rays reaching the edges; Japan's national flag is a single plain red disc in the center.