April is Aries Month

Arms of Schaffhausen

The shield of arms with the Aries "Ram" on it belongs to the most northern Swiss Canton of Schaffhausen. It features a black ram standing on its back legs with a red tongue sticking out with and excited male gonadal tissue.

Most of the inhabitants speak German, the most spoken tongue of Switzerland.

The Swiss Canton of Scaffhausen famously had a reverse wood cut print made in 1521, by Urs Graf & Hans Holbein.

Note the Virgin Mary in the canton of this Swiss Canton

Japanese Prefectural Flag Twins - Saga & Kyoto: Part 11

This is the final pair of Japanese Prefectural flags compared in the blog thread. It may seem odd at first but the partner of Kyoto is Saga Prefecture. The rich dynamic is like a farm girl vs a princess.

Kyoto is the number one destination of tourist travel in Japan. During the feudal era, Kyoto was the Imperial Seat and cultural hot spot beyond compare. Romantic writers, geisha, temples, poets, artists, Samurai, and nearly everything associated with classical Japan has a deep association or connection with Kyoto.

Saga on the other hand is the polar opposite (mecca-ly speaking), rarely is there any international or domestic travel to Saga. Saga is very much off the beaten path. And Saga is one of the least populated prefectures of Japan. This is also a blessing, because the natural beauty of Japan is conserved - Saga is populated with rice paddies, vast bamboo grooves, and friendly locals. The outfit the Japanese farm girls is stunning in its own way, just as stunning to the out fit of the geisha (see the video below and pause it!).

Flag of Kyoto

The common element between the flag of Saga and Kyoto is a six petaled white flower. Both have a mini-hi no maru in the center. Saga's is red while Kyoto's is gold. In between the mini-hi no maru are patterns that flow with the shape of the flower.

Flag of Saga

Saga has six red U-shaped parabola's facing outwards while Kyoto has a complete golden sine wave. Their background colours differ. But also harmonize as semi-Christmas colours. Saga's green blends well with Kyoto's reddish tint.

Close up of Saga's Mini 'Hi no Maru'

You could argue that the national banner is 'hidden' within the flag of Saga - if you zoom in really closely.Because, in the center of the white flowers is a red disc. This is the only flag of Japan to have a complete mini-chichai 'hi no maru.' The petals also have red streaks. The gold streak of Kyoto is totally connected. It looks like a convoluted asterisk, or 70s style flower power symbol. But for Saga - their are six red streaks, that look like six letter U's.

Kyoto is world famous because it was the cultural heartland of Japan. It carries the intrinsic echo of Emperors, Geisha, poets, artists, and craftsmen - who define Japanese Culture by their art. Saga on the other hand is and was Japan's Breadbasket (aka Japanese-Kansas). The pace of life is sweetly slow. Slow and unpopular as Saga may seem, Saga played a key role in the modernization of Japan. After the forced entry-arrival of America at Yokohama -Saga was destined to give Japan her famous "Seven wise men from Saga" who helped Japan adapt and modernize to the 'Western Barbarians.'

These men of Saga played key roles in the modernization of Japan in a crash course of studying Western Ways in 30 years. Note that the West had nearly 500 years to become "modern" in a natural way. Japan did it in less than one generation. In less than 30 years they mastered European Technologies, founded the Japanese Red Cross, established a Western style of Education System, and created a modern judicial system.

Saga was the original gateway to modern Japan by the gracious will of "Seven wise men from Saga," and Kyoto is the traditional gateway to ancient Japan.

Video Collage of Kyoto and Saga - play them together if you can
& mute Saga if you do! And let both load up before playing!

KYOTO ----------------------- SAGA

Japanese Prefectural Flag Twins - Hiroshima & Kumamoto: Part 10

Flag of Hiroshima

These prefectures align harmoniously by colour and design. The white emblems are stylized Katakana Letters "Hee" for Hiroshima, while Kumamoto uses the letter "Ku."

A geographic coincidence is that they both have the longest shorelines of their inland seas. Hiroshima has the longest inland sea shoreline for Honshu, while Kumamoto also has the longest inland sea shoreline of Kyushu's private inland sea - the Ariake and Yatsushiro Seas.

Flag of Kumamoto


Culturally Hiroshima and Kumamoto bear solemn and sacred landmarks in history. Buddhism teaches that suffering is a part of life - with Hiroshima a great suffering was delivered from beyond with atomic weapons in 1945. 50 years later another tragedy of firsts stuck Japan. Shoko Asahara, a man from Kumamoto, masterminded the Tokyo Sarin Never Gas Attack in 1995. These flags show us that suffering can come from within and beyond. We are often at the mercy of forces grater that ourselves. We must never forget or hide from our folly, rather we should recognize the better element of ourselves that strives to overcome these difficulties and tests. Rather than shame and blame, we must come to better understanding and hope. So the mistakes of the past be not repeated.

Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Dome
Kept as it was since 1945

CLICK HERE FOR PART 1
CLICK HERE FOR PART 11

CLICK HERE for a video about Japanese Flag Pairs on Youtube

Mug Shot of Japan's
Domestic Terror Leader
from Kumamoto - led 1995 Sarin Terror Subway Attack

Japanese Prefectural Flag Twins - Shimane & Nigata: Part 9

Flag of Nigata

The flags of Shimane and Nigata make a pair. Their background colours are a similar tint - brownish/red. Both flags have golden emblems that have lobed 'four leafed clovers.' The golden 'four leafed clover' of Shimane is centered and large, but the 'four leafed clover' of Nigata is at a 12:00 o'clock position in a double ringed circle.

Flag of Shimane

Shimane and Nigata are coastal prefectures along the Sea of Japan facing Korea/Mainland Asia. Another geographic harmony is that both prefectures are connected to two sacred 'satellite islands.'

According to Shinto Tradition in the beginning of the world, eight sacred islands fell from the divine spear tip which became the eight scared islands of Japan. This included the three big islands of Honshu, Kysushu, Shikoku, and five smaller islands of Awaji, Sadoshima, Okishima, Ikishima, Tsushima. There are hundreds of smaller islands surrounding the four big islands of Japan, and the chances that two prefectures that align by flags would also align with one of the sacred original eight is quite uncanny. Sado-shima is a part of Nigata Prefecture, while Oki-shima is a part of Shimane Prefecture.

Map of Shimane and Nigata with Sacred Satellite Islands

Two dedicated Naval Commanders of World War II were originate from Shimane and Nigata: Admiral Yamaguchi and Admiral Yamamoto. Admiral Yamamoto was born in Nigata, while Adimiral Yamaguchi hailed from Shimane. Both men were outstanding leaders for their nations. Yamaguchi served his country in the Pacific Campaign and died at the Battle of Midway aboard the aircraft carrier the IJN Hiryu - (Flying Dragon). He was one of Japan's brightest naval commanders and instead of escaping to fight another day he chose to go down with the carrier.

Admiral Yamamoto is the more famous name who helped plan the strike at Pearl Harbor and he was the Commander in Chief of the Imperial Combined Fleet. But after the Battle of Midway, Japan went on the defensive. In 1943 Yamamoto was shot down while in an airplane that crashed in the Northern Solomon Islands.

Coincidentally these men studied abroad in the United States during the 1920s, and at Ivy League Universities. Yamaguchi studied at Princeton University while Yamamoto studied at Harvard. Odd as it may seem Yamaguchi and Yamamoto were both Ivy League alumni.

Yamamoto Right, Yamaguchi Left with Ivy League Arms



CLICK HERE FOR PART 1
CLICK HERE FOR PART 10

CLICK HERE to see a video about Japanese Flag Pairs

Japanese Prefectural Flag Twins - Wakayama & Ibaraki: Part 8

Flag of Ibaraki

The prefectural flags of Ibaraki and Wakayama are the hallmark of Yin and Yang. Their coloration is counter charged - as it would be in heraldic terms. Ibaraki is blue with white rose but Wakayama is white with a Katakana 'WA.'

Geographically they are both on the western pacific sides. They are far enough from the congested Osaka-Kinki and Tokyo-Kanto metropolises - where the pace of life is decidedly slower and more country.

Flag of Wakayama
The most importantt event linking these two prefectures rests on the shoulders of Morie Ueshiba who is the founder of Aikido. Morie Ueshiba was born in Wakayama and died in Ibaraki. Aikdo is a martial art that strives for the holy grail of fighting. An Aikido master redirects the force of an attacker away or back at the attacker without doing harm, but yet being able to subdue the opponent. In modern terms you can think of it as a mix of Spock's knockout grip combined with Neo's invincibility moves in the Matrix.

Morie Ueshiba
founder of Aikido

Morie Ueshiba was born of that generation that first marvelled unto the modern age. He lived though the first Chinese-Japanese War of 1895, Russo-Japanese War, WWI, World War II, and Korean War. Morie lived in that transitional era where the ancient way of feudal of society was witness to the journeys of man to the moon - 1969. He lived in the nexus between the ancient feudal era and modern technological now.

The flags of Ibaraki and Wakayama are like Yin and Yang or Past and Future.




CLICK HERE FOR PART 1
CLICK HERE FOR PART 9

CLICK HERE to see Japanese Flag Video on Youtube

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.


CLICK HERE FOR PART 8
CLICK HERE FOR PART 1

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.


CLICK HERE FOR PART 7
CLICK HERE FOR PART 1

CLICK HERE to see Japanese Prefectural Flag Video on Youtube