Japan flag is the national flag of Japan, a densely populated island country off the coast of eastern Asia. The flag is a white rectangle with a solid red circle at its center. The red circle represents the sun. The Japanese call their country Nippon or Nihon, which means source of the sun. They commonly call their flag the Hinomaru, which means sun disc. Another name for the flag is the Nisshoki, meaning rising sun flag.
Japanese rulers and soldiers used the sun symbol on flags and badges by the 1300’s, or even earlier. In 1854, Japan’s rulers introduced a white flag bearing a solid red circle. The flag was intended for use by Japanese ships trading with other nations. In 1870, the government approved the use of the flag on land. The flag then began serving as a national flag. However, Japan did not pass a law to officially adopt the Hinomaru as its national flag until 1999.
