Japanese Prefectural Flag Twins - Nagano & Fukushima : Part 1

The core theme in my flag research is the revelation that flags display a unique patten. Basically flags of a similar class can be paired up as fraternal twins. I have already shown many examples with sub national flags of Russia, Australia, Canada and even the state flags of the USA. This flag symmetry phenomena even occurs with the culturally distant nation of Japan.

Since Fukushima Prefecture has risen to global attention due to the recent tragedy of the Tsunami, it seems appropriate that we should start there. Japan basically has 47 divisions below the federal level, akin to the 50 sub-federal divisions of US or 13 sub-federal divisions within Canada (Provincial & Territorial).

Upper Letters are Hiragana
Lower Letters are Katakana

47 is an enchanting and important number for Japan, since there are officially 47 letters in the Japanese Alphabet - Hiragana or Katakana without divisional strokes. The Japanese writing system is rather immense. First of all there is an adapted Chinese Character Kanji Set (immensely complex), second their own native phonetic script has two forms - kind of like cursive (Hiragana) and print (Katakana), and finally they use the Roman Letters.

47 is relevant to the story of the 47 Samurai who avenged their master's honor. The 47 Ronin accepted their mission yet knew they would have to commit suicide if they succeeded. The name of this story became the novel the Chushingura which is based on actual events that took place in the early 1700s.

Nagano Prefectural Flag

The flag of Fukushima pairs up harmoiously with the flag of Nagano. These are only two prefectural flags that use the colours orange. Both prefectural flags use Japanese Letters upon their flags. Fukushima uses a stylized letter 'Fu' in Hiragana, while Nagano useus a stylized letter 'Na' in Katakana.

Fukushima Prefectural Flag

As of 2011 the names of both prefectures should be known world wide due to the 1998 Nagano Olympics and 2011 Fukushima earthquake-tsunami nuclear disaster.

Culturally both prefectures are famous for world wide cultural icons of Japan. Mr. Tsuburaya, Eji is a key individual responsible for unleashing Godzilla upon the imagination of Japan and subsequently the world. Likewise one of the most famous Sumo Wrestlers ever to wrestle in Japan is Raiden Tameemon. Monsters and wrestling are universal to all cultures. But in Japan Godzilla and Sumo Wrestlers have become cultural ambassadors known to all nations and nearly all generations. Essentially these two prefectures have given the world larger than life characters - one is imaginary the other real.


Nagano and Fukushima are rather large prefectures compared to most - they are proverbial big lanky prefectures of Japan. They are geographic opposites - Nagano is mostly mountainous while Fukushima is rather plain.

CLICK HERE FOR PART 2 MIYAGI & MIE

Video shown at the 23rd International Congress of Vexillology - 2009



Link to Toyota - http://www.toyota.com/

First Air Boming in History - at Libya 100 years later 1911/2011

Mankind Learns to Fly 1903
and then how to kill while Flying 1911

One hundred years ago in 1911 the world watched in astonishment as the first air attack by aircraft. This aerial bombing took place in North Africa. Italy was at war with the Turkish Empire. Fighting took place in Libya and the Aegean Sea.

Coincidentally 100 years later a Western Alliance has launched a few Tomahawk Missiles towards Libya in order to enforce a 'no fly zone.' This aggressive activity is was not done in honor of the Bombing of the Ottoman Empire - it is simply a coincidence.

St. Patty's Day 2011 - Ireland & Ivory Coast

Happy St. Patrick's Day 2011!

Irish or not you can still enjoy it! Wear green, soak up the lucky vibes, or just be plain grateful for the good things in life!


The great thing about the Irish flag is when you turn it upside down you get the flag of an African country - the Ivory Coast.

But I believe in destiny & coincidence, thus it is no accident a nation in Europe would match with a nation in Africa, as a proverbial union of Ebony & Ivory! It is one of the surreal amazing matches of the passionate Irish with the soulful African.

The Humble and Common Clover -
a lucky symbol of the Irish for everyone

The Shamrock is an icon of Ireland and symbol of good fortune. The 'Gratitude Rock' would make a harmonious complement to the Ivory Coast. The concept of a Gratitude Rock gained enormous popularity with the release of The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. In this movie we learn that 'Gratitude Rocks' worked miracles in Africa. Thus waving the Irish or Ivory flag is a kin to being grateful for all the good fortune that came your way!

The common and humble rock
rub it with an Attitude of African Gratitude

FACT: The more Gratitude you feel the more it will Rock your world and make you lucky!

Bristol, Pennsylvania

The original county seat of Bucks County is now a sleepy industrial suburban town.

Bristol Pennsylvania has a warm small town All American Pennsylvania vibe spiked with a New Jersey mojo and an gritty Philadelphia sparkle. Bristol is a patch work community that is an exotic mix of history and the modern world.

Seal of Bristol Township

The Township Seal is an interesting blend of American Heraldry. It features a wide semi-heart shaped shield. It is cross quartered with a small white star in the center. The upper left and bottom right quarters is a stretched checker design of blue and yellow. The upper right quarter has a large sailing ship. Finally the bottom left has a simple bowl.

The supporters are both lions in a natural, prowling ambush stance. Interestingly the lions support the shield on their back. An American bald eagle sits at the helm on top of a ribbon that reads in all capital letters, "BRISTOL TOWNSHIP." Within the frame of the shield is the date 1692. In the compartment is another ribbon with the motto, "Independence, Pride, Prosperity."

G.I. Joe American Hero & Rambo Patch

The Joe Team standing in front of the American Flag

GI Joe and Rambo were more than just feeling in the 80s. If you were an American boy born in the mid 70s and allowed to watch TV cartoons, these shows had a role in the foundation of your sense of American Patriotism.

GI Joe was created in 1964, launched with worry as a doll for boys. But this was one risk well worth its gamble. Boys didn't mind playing with dolls so long as they came with guns, weapons, and gadgets.


Insignia of COBRA
GI Joe dolls did well and in 1982 the popular small action figure set and comic book was created with Marvel Comics. Also introduced in 1982 was GI Joe's enemy - Cobra - an international terrorist organization bent of destroying freedom (see the video below). Cobra's insignia was of course the outline of a Cobra in red.

Rambo Patch

Another patriotic go USA icon of the 80s was Rambo. Rambo was originally a book - First Blood 1972 - by David Morell. Ten years later the Hollywood movie adaptation was made - First Blood - and starred Silvester Stallone as Rambo in 1982. Rambo would spawn two sequels, but in 1986 an animated version of Rambo for kids was created - Rambo and the Forces of Freedom.

Kid friendly Rambo featured a patch. It had an American Bald Eagle in flight - with talons extended to the lower left. The Eagle was superimposed on disc that featured nine red and white stripes - like the original Son's of Liberty. On the lower side of the disc is written the motto ' THE FORCE OF FREEDOM.'

Rambo's Friends with Rambo Patch

Rambo and the Forces of Freedom is a Yin and Yang compliment to GI Joe: An American Hero. GI Joe worked as team against a power hungry army that used terrorism to destroy human freedom. But animated Rambo fought solo - with some technical help - against General War Hawk in order to protect the, "Peace Loving People of the World." (see video below)


Animated Intro of GI Joe & Rambo Animated Series

Insignia of the Transformers - Autobot & Decepticon

Insignia of the Autobot

who do not steal energy & cared about people

If you grew up in the 1980s then your introduction the word insignia may have come from a toy - the Transformers. Transformers were the it boy toy in the early 80s. They were basically vehicles that transformed into robots. So enchanting as these toys were that in the 2000s they would have a revival in Hollywood.

Like Yin and Yang there was division of powers between the 'good' robots and 'bad' robots. The good robots are the Autobots who are usually some kind of automobile, while the 'bad' robots are the Decepticons who are flying machines, except for the leader who is a gun and his lieutenant which is a magnetic recording device and master of other animal like robotic slaves.


Insignia of the Decepticons
who were Deceptive, stole energy & saw humans as worthless

The original toys came with a heat sensitive sticker. At room temperature or below the sticker would be black but once pressed, and then heated the insignia of the transformer would glow. This added another element to an already complex toy. Often times younger kids would be mystified when older kids would transform a complex robot, when it was beyond their capability. However there were many adults and too cool older children you couldn't master the transformation of some complex robots.

The Transfomers were part model toy car-airplane, part puzzle, part robot-doll, and their space in American-Japanese kid culture was cemented with well television show oriented for kids but spiced with adult topics.

This was a ground breaking toy at the right time and the right place. The joy of the toy planted a seed that bloomed nearly 20 years later. Who knows what will come in 20 more years - a live action Pokemon-CGI/5-D Movie like Avatar?

Solubury Township, Buck County PA

under construction

Township Logo of Solebury in 2011