Japanese Prefectural Flag Twins - Tokyo & Gunma: Part 7

Flag of Tokyo

Purple makes an appearance only twice amongst Japanese Prefectural Flags - Gunma and Tokyo. Both symbols have six points. The symbol for Tokyo looks a bit like a ships nautical steering wheel with six points, while six points of Gunma are are the end of the three 'crescent moons.'

Flag of Gunma

The symbol of Tokyo is an artistically modified Chinese Character for "East" which is a mixture of the root icons of "tree" and "sun"... for the rising sun appearing behind the trees in the east. Coincidentally Gunma also uses a kanji in the center of the three 'crescent moons.'

These two flags harmonize on colour and symbolism - accidentally or rather by destiny. There is a Sun on the flag of Tokyo and three moons on Gunma.

Mission Patch for
Akiyama's Historic Journey 1990

The most cosmic coincidence found in any flag pair that I have described can found here. The first Japanese Man to enter space was born in Tokyo, while the first Japanese Woman to venture beyond the wide blue yonder was born in Gunma.

Mukai's Mission Patch 1994
Historic Voyage for Japanese Women

Just as there was a space race to the moon between the USSR and the USA, there was a race to get the first Japanese National in orbit. The first Japanese space explorer was a Cosmonaut. The Soviets won this 'Space Race of National Histories' back in 1990. A Japanese Journalist - Toyohiro Akiyama was the first Japanese person in orbit.

However the first Japanese Woman in space was an Astronaut - Chiaki Mukai . She rode the USS Columbia into the heavens in 1994.

Enlarged Symbol of Gunma's inner Kanji
in the middle of the three 'moons'

Tokyo also has a more popular 'Metropolitan Flag' that is white with light green ginko leaf upon it. The purple Tokyo flag is older and reserved for ceremonial and very important events.


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Japanese Prefectural Flag Twins - Toyama & Aomori : Part 6

Flag of Aomori Prefecture

The Japanese Prefectures of Aomori and Toyama harmoniously align by design and colour. Both have white backgrounds and green emblems. Coincidentally their central green emblems are reflective of geography. Toyama Prefecture is famous for having mountains and shape of the icon has two mountain tops. Also hidden in center we can see a Japanese Hiragana Letter - "TO."

Aomori Prefecture uses a stylized geographical outline of prefecture as its central green emblem. The emblem of Tokyama reminds me a camping logo, and Aomori emblem looks like as youth hostel logo, eh?

Flag of Toyama Prefecture

Both flags echo geographical marks that are important to both prefectures. Toyama is famous for its mountains and plateaus, while Aomori is the at the Northern tip of Honshu. You can think of Toyama as being the Colorado of Japan and Aomori as being like Maine.

Both prefectures are famous for their civil engineering projects. Toyama is home to Japan's tallest dam - the Kurobe Dam that dams the Kurobe River. Although meek when compared to America's Hoover Dam, the Kurobe Dam is nonetheless Japan's premier tourist attraction - as "Japan's Hoover Dam."

Japan's Tallest Dam
Kurobe Dam

Along the northern tip of main island of Honshu is Aomori - this part of Japan feels less like the Far East and more like the Adirondack or Yellow Stone. Aomori is also famous for its man made public works - the Seikan Tunnel. This is the longest and deepest railway tunnel in the world. It connects Hokkaido with Honshu.

Aomori and Toyama are parts of Japan at the edges by latitude and altitude. The fresh mountain plateaus of Toyama gave her stunning beauty, as Toyama is home to Japan's tallest waterfall - Shomyo Falls. Aomori too is revealing in her natural beauty of the far north. Japan's coastline is blessed with hundreds of small bays and inlets but Aomori has the largest private bay - unshared with another prefecture. Which coincidentally kinda' looks like Toyama Prefecture.


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Japanese Prefectural Flag Twins - Nara & Okinawa : Part 5

Flag of Nara

The prefecturual Flag of Nara and Okinawa are what I can fraternal flag twins. They are a similar in design - both having a white background with a red circular symbol in the center. The essence of the national banner of Japan is strongly reflected with these two flags.

These places are culturally balanced like Yin and Yang. Nara is the ancient heartland and the original Imperial Capital of Japan. The original name of Nara during the Samurai and Shogun era was Yamato, which is also the classical name of Japan.

Flag of Okinawa

Nara's dark red icon is a stylized Katakana letter "Na" for NA-ra. The flag of Okinawa has a completed red disc but it is marked with a white circle. The two 'circles' are off center. This creates an accidental image as if an eye is looking up or north - towards Japan?

Okinawa basically is the national flag with an off center white Roman Letter "O". It is both ironic and harmonious that the part of Japan most influenced and impacted by the West uses a letter from the West in its flag.

So which flag looks more like the national flag of Japan? I guess it depends on your point of view. I believe it's a stone cold tie.

You can see the Flag of Japan 'hidden' in the flag of Nara & Okinawa

During World War II, the largest battleship of WWII was set to sea - the INJ Yamato. For the Japanese, this grandest ship of ships is kind'a like the HMS Titanic and USS Enterprise all in one. A generation later in the 1970s - the power of this ship would echo across American and Japanese Pop Culture, merging the line between History and Pop. American Generation-X'ers were exposed to Japanime called-Starblazers which was called Spaceship Yamato in Japanese.

Nara's Todai-Ji

Nara was once called Yamato long long ago, when the earth was in a different part of the galaxy, far far away. Nara Prefecture has many temples, shrines, and is considered historical and hallowed ground. Nara (Yamato) Prefecture is usually on the list of places to visit for every tourist, besides Kyoto and Tokyo.

Nara has historical political significance - being in the very heart of Japan but Okinawa is on the fringe. Okinawa was last part of Japan to be made a part Japan. Furthermore, it was added after the arrival European Explorers in 1534. Okinawa was obliged to bring tribute to both China and Japan in 1609. By 1609 the Japanese had mastered firearms technology brought over from the West - but ironically this weapons technology was originally designed by the Chinese who overlooked its potential as a weapon.

It wasn't until 1868 that Japan annexed Okinawa. After WWII the US held on to Okinawa for 20 extra years,until 1972, after the national occupation ended in 1952.

Battleship IJN Yamato
a proverbial HMS Titantic & USS Enterprise wrapped in one

But during the Great War of the Pacific Okinawa was hit hardest by the US Invasion force. Ironically the least or youngest part of Japan - paid the heaviest price in WWII. During the 3 month long Battle of Okinawa the IJN Yamato was positioned in between Okinawa and the Southern Mainland Island of Kyushu. Thus the IJN Yamato (or IJN Nara so to speak) was sunk while the Battle of Okinawa raged in the spring of 1945.

The flag of Okinawa and Nara were destined to be of a similar tone. They are essential parts of Japan but carry radically different histories. Nara is Japan, Nara is Yamato, Yamato is Japan, as is Okinawa.

Left - modern name - NIHON......Right - classical name - YAMATO
LEFT (SUN -SOURCE) literal translation of Kanji ( GRAND HARMONY) RIGHT

Okinawa is the proverbial Omega, and Nara is the Alpha of Japanese prefectures.


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A song from Okinawa with American Influence


It became a hit in Latin America, soon one day in the US too


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Japanese Prefectural Flag Twins - Osaka & Fukuoka : Part 4

Flag of Osaka

Osaka and Fukuoka make a good pair. Again they match by background colour - blue. They both have circular white icons in the center. The emblem of Fukuoka is a white plum flower. I'm not exactly sure what Osaka's symbol is supposed to be? Maybe of stylized Primula Flower, since it is a prefectural symbol?

They have a geographic balance because they are at opposite ends of the inland sea of Japan. In the West is Fukuoka and in the East is Osaka. Subsequently the cities of Osaka and Kitakyushu in Fukuoka are famous for having bold business like acumen. The business is so bold that Osaka Businesses manifested the world first artificial island airport in 1994. Likewise the wealth of Fukuoka's Business Class allowed Kitakyushu to give birth to another artificial island airport in the Inland Sea of Japan back in 2006.

Flag of Fukuoka

Osaka and Fukuoka also have unique shapes. Most Japanese Prefectures look like blobs. But Fukuoka looks like a mushroom while Osaka is similar to a crescent moon.

I had the pleasure of living one year in Osaka and three years in Fukuoka - so I know both prefectures fairly well. I am an alumni of the Kansai Gaidai - Hirakata Campus in Osaka. I was also JET participant and was assigned to two high schools to teach at in Fukuoka Prefecture - Kurume Chikusui and Meizen.

Some baseball fans might recognize the name Hirakata, since they won the little league world series in 1999 - while I was in Japan I might add. And I'm from Pennsylvania. Another odd ball on top of that - also in 1999 Fukuoka won the Japanese World Series as the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks!


Kitakyushu certainly has an Osaka vibe. So what is an Osaka vibe? Osaka is famous for being not so neat, more open, bold, not afraid to wear wacky clothing and a bit more outspoken than your average Japanese person.

Fukuoka and Osaka are two Japanese prefectures that I also call home - if you bond with a place, and come back after a long time, it will feel like you're visiting a grandparents house or something like that.

Finally Osaka's flag used to be green, but then fate stepped in in 1984 and turned made it blue. Fukuoka's Flag also is the oldest prefectural flag in Japan - adopted in 1908!


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Japanese Prefectural Flag Twins - Akita & Aichi : Part 3

Flag of Akita Prefecture
Katakana "A"

The flags of Akita and Aichi make a harmonious pair on several levels. First their colours are a similar brownish-red. But most importantly their prefectural symbols are stylized letters for the Japanese letter for 'A.'

Akita in the North at a European Latitude has a very post modern looking Katakana A, while Aichi in the South at an African Latitude has a very artistic looking Hiragana A.

Flag of Aichi
Hiragana "A"

The dividing lines on the map below represent the extreme continental latitudes of Africa and Europe at their most northern and southern points. The red line is 37' 20" degrees north and represents the most northern point of Continental Africa by the nation of Tunisia. The blue line is 36' degrees north which is the most southern point of Continental Europe by the nation of Spain.

In between these two latitudes is where Africa and Europe are at eye to eye so to speak. Honshu is amazingly geographically balanced between these two great continents. Furthermore Japan is also balanced like yin and yang since Hokkaido is totally at a European Latitude while Kyushu and Shikoku are at totally African Latitudes.



The Akita Dog was bred in Akita. It is a dog that has been molded by Japanese hands, while the Toyota Car from Aichi is something man made by Japan. The Japanese are keenly aware between things that are alive and not alive. This aspect of aliveness is reflected in their language - which has two forms of 'IS.' One is reserved for living things such as an Akita Dog - the 'IMAUS' is-alive form.

While another 'IS' reserved for non living things such as a Toyota Camry - 'ARIMASU' is-non living form.

In English we don't have this form: for example - the dog is over there and the car is over there.




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Japanese Prefectural Flag Twins - Miyagi & Mie : Part 2

lag of Miyagi Prefecture

The prefecutral flags of Mie and Miyagi align almost perfectly. Both flags employ the Japanese Hiragana Letter "Me." Both prefectures are in Honshu with Miyagi in the north at a European Latitude and Mie in the south at an African Latitude.

Miyagi Prefecture is serendipitously famous because of the movie The Karate Kid 1984 with Ralph Macchio. In this movie Mr. Miyagi is a Japanese-American teacher who helps an Italian-American kid from New Jersey adjust to a new neighborhood in California.



Mie is famous in Japan as the proverbial Jerusalem of the Shinto Faith. The high temple dedicated to Amateratsu the Sun Goddess is located there. Arguably this is the holiest of holy Shinto Shrines.

Flag of Mie Prefecture



Miyagi Prefecture is famous for Japan's Celebration of Tanabata. This holiday takes place sometime in the summer, usually July. The Tanabata Celebration is based on an ancient Chinese tale of two star crossed lovers - a high society sky princess and a lowly farmer. Basically two stars become visible on opposite sides of the Milky Way - Vega & Altair. The farmer and princess become forbidden lovers by the Gods - except on one date: Tanabata.

Coincidentally in the most recent version of the Karate Kid 2010 with Jackie Chan, they retell a "Tanabata Story" in an 'original' Chinese form during a play. But during Japan's Tanabata they decorate and write wishes on paper, then hang them on bamboo stems. It kind of looks like a "Japanese Bamboo-Mas Tree," but without presents.


The odd parallel is that Mie is a central point in the worship of the sun which is a part of our solar system, while Miyagi is a prime nexus point in the appreciation of our neighboring stars -Vega and Altair which are stars in our Galaxy - the Milky Way. Coincidentally both Vega and Altair are rather close to our Sun.


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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.

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



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