Okinawa (Japan)

沖縄県

Last modified: 2005-04-02 by phil nelson
Keywords: okinawa | japan | ryu-kyu | disc (red) | letter: o | neyagawa | urasoe |
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by Pascal Gross

• Description of the flag
• History of the prefecture flags
• The symbolism
• Neyagawa city flag
• Urasoe city flag

See also:

• Independent State of Okinawa
• Ryukyu Dynasty and Lu Chu Kingdom
• Republic of the Ryukyus
• Japanese Subdivisions
• Japan

Description of the flag

White O letter in red disc on white field. O is the prefecture initial letter. The inner small red disc stands for progress of Okinawa and outer red circle for sea surrounding Okinawa. Adopted 1972-10-13.

Nozomi Kariyasu, 06 May 1998

History of the prefecture flags

Until early in the 19th century, the ships sailing between China and Okinawa (Ryukyu/LooChu Islands) was a gold or dark yellow triangle with a red sphere in the center, and bordered with red small triangles. The shape : Staff = 1, Base = 2. Seen in Chinese movies and in Okinawan prints seen both there and in Miyako Island.

The governments of the Ryukyu's paid tribute to China, and even tried to placate "Satsuma" from Kyushu in Japan. But they were truly independent, and sailed from the coasts of India and Indonesia and to Korea also.

These were not the flags flown by Chinese ships in the period. Although there is a similarity, the Ryukyu Islands enjoyed a favourable