Flag of Japan

What the flag looks like

A white rectangular field with a single red disc in the exact center.

What it means

The red disc represents the sun, reflecting the country's name, Nihon, often translated as "origin of the sun".

How to remember it

Japan's red sun sits dead center on white; Bangladesh puts its red disc off-center on green, and Palau has a yellow moon on blue.

Fun facts

• The flag is called the Hinomaru, "circle of the sun".
• It was used as a merchant flag from 1870, but only became the legally designated national flag in 1999, when its proportions were fixed and the disc was placed exactly in the center.

Japan at a glance

Capital

Tokyo

Region

Eastern Asia

Population

124 million

Area

377,930 km²

Languages

Japanese

Currency

Japanese yen (¥)

Flag adopted

1999

Flags often confused with Japan

• Bangladesh: Bangladesh and Japan both show a red disc. Japan's field is white with the disc exactly centered; Bangladesh's field is dark green with the disc slightly towards the hoist.
• Palau: Japan and Palau both show a single disc. Japan's is a red disc centered on white; Palau's is a yellow disc on light blue, set slightly towards the hoist.