Flag of Kumamoto
Officially Kumamoto Prefecture
Locally Kumamoto-ken · 熊本県
What the flag looks like
A white ring with a flat side at the hoist, on a dark red field: the katakana ク (ku) drawn as the island of Kyūshū.
What it means
ク is the first sound of Kumamoto, and the shape is Kyūshū, with the hole marking Kumamoto at its heart.
How to remember it
Kumamoto's
white ク (ku) on dark red is also the outline of Kyūshū, with a hole where Kumamoto sits.
Fun facts
- Mount Aso has one of the largest volcanic calderas in the world.
- Kumamon, the black bear mascot, is Kumamoto's best-known ambassador.
Kumamoto at a glance
- Type
- Prefecture (ken)
- Island
- Kyūshū
- Capital
- Kumamoto
- Region
- Kyūshū
- Population
- 1.7 million
- Area
- 7,409 km²
- Languages
- Japanese
- Currency
- Japanese yen (¥)
- Flag adopted
- 1966
Flags often confused with Kumamoto
- Kochi: Kochi and Kumamoto both have a white ring on dark red. Kochi's ring is closed with a red blade pointing up inside; Kumamoto's is a ク with a flat side open toward the hoist.