Flag of Ishikawa
Officially Ishikawa Prefecture
Locally Ishikawa-ken · 石川県
What the flag looks like
A white emblem on a blue field: the kanji 石川 (Ishikawa) drawn in the shape of the Noto Peninsula.
What it means
The blue stands for the Sea of Japan and for the prefecture's greenery, clean water and clear air.
How to remember it
Ishikawa's
white strokes on blue spell 石川 (Ishikawa) and trace the Noto Peninsula jutting into the sea.
Fun facts
- Kanazawa, the capital, makes almost all of Japan's gold leaf.
- Ishikawa is the only prefecture with no separate emblem: the design on its flag serves instead.
Ishikawa at a glance
- Type
- Prefecture (ken)
- Island
- Honshū
- Capital
- Kanazawa
- Region
- Chūbu
- Population
- 1.1 million
- Area
- 4,191 km²
- Languages
- Japanese
- Currency
- Japanese yen (¥)
- Flag adopted
- 1972
Flags often confused with Ishikawa
- Shiga: Ishikawa and Shiga both have a white emblem on light blue. Ishikawa's is slanting strokes spelling 石川; Shiga's is a ring with a pair of wings.