Royal flags of Japan, circa 1876

Last modified: 2004-10-23 by phil nelson
Keywords: royalty: japan | disc (gold) |
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Emperor's flag, circa 1876

by Jaume Ollé

See also:

• Imperial flags, 1870-1875
• Flag of the Royal Family, circa 1876
• Flags of the Imperial Japanese Family (1899)
• Emperor's carriage flag, 1871-1889
• Emperor's flag at sea, 1871-1889
• Empress' carriage flag, 1873-1889
• Royal family flag at sea, 1875-1889
• Japanese Royalty Flags
• Historc and Cultural flags (Japan)

The device in the center of the Emperor's flag is not simple gold disc but gold chrysanthemum with 16 petals which is exactly same as the one used in the current Japanese Emperor's flag.

The gold colour Kiku Mon in the original plate had been seemingly tarnished to black for the last 123 years (1876 thru 1999).

The flag plate was taken from Japanese flag book published in 1876 which is really precious material vexillologically, for the flag plate is a product of compromise between the Japanese traditional flag concept and the Western traditional flag concept.

The Emperor's flag was long called Nishiki no Mihata in Japanese (The Emperor's gold flag is a straight English translation) actually the flag was made from precious woven silk; the field colour of which was vermilion as Sun's colour at least to average Japanese people the sun looks vermilion (not red but close to bright orange) at any place in Japan with textile pattern with other colour silks. The device was the Emperor's family's (Royal family) emblem (Ka-mon) of gold 16 petals chrysanthemum and the flag proportion followed Japanese traditional flag as seen in lots of Daimyo flag (feudal principalities fla