71 Interesting Facts About Japan

Last updated on October 13th, 2022

Atomic weapon attacks, national anthem, Internet usage, etc

61. Japanese can say “Sorry” in 20 different ways.

62. Japan is the only country in the world that suffered from an atomic weapon attack.

63. Tokyo, the capital of Japan, is one of the most expensive cities to live in.

64. Kimigayo is Japan’s national anthem. It is the world’s shortest anthem with a length of 11 measures and 32 characters.

65. Japan boasts the longest reigning monarchy in the world.

66. Blowing your nose in Japan is considered inappropriate.

67. Average monthly disposable salary after tax in Japan is $2,782.

68. There are 118.3 million internet users in Japan in January 2022.

69. The average height of men in Japan is 171.4 cm.

70. More than 25% of Japan’s population is over 65 years of age.

71. Japan’s is slightly smaller than California in terms of total area.

About the Flag of Japan

1. Design and Symbolism

The flag of Japan depicts the country’s nickname: Land of the Rising Sun. It features a red circle at the center of a white rectangular field. The official Japanese name is Nisshoki (“flag of the sun”), while its common name is Hinomaru (“circle of the sun”).

Japan is east of the Asian mainland. Therefore, the sun rises there before other places on the continent. Letters dating to 607 AD refer to the Japanese ruler as “the emperor of the rising sun.”

According to Japanese mythology, the emperor is a descendant of the sun goddess Amaterasu. This direct connection to a deity in the Shinto religion is the source of the royal family’s legitimacy. Shinto features nature worship, treating the sun as a vital force in agriculture and fishing.

2. Adoption

The Meiji government adopted the Nisshoki as a civil ensign back in 1870. Merchant ships and navy vessels used it at sea. On August 13, 1999, Japan officially designated it as the national flag.

3. Technical Details

The flag follows a ratio of 2:3. The red circle is two-thirds of the flag’s length. The exact shade of red is 5R 4/12 using the Munsell color system and 156 using the DIC chart. The military can use nylon and acrylic fiber for flag construction.

4. History

In 701 AD, Emperor Monmu used a sun-motif flag for the New Year decorations in the ceremonial hall. It is the first recorded use of this design by a Japanese ruler.

In 1180, two powerful families clashed in the Genpei War. The Taira clan used a red flag with a gold circle, while the Minamoto clan raised a white flag with a red circle. Minamoto defeated Taira, making their banner a prominent battle flag.

In 1854, Japanese ships needed a flag to distinguish themselves from foreign vessels. They used the Hinomaru as the standard. It became the official merchant flag of Japan in 1870. People also raised it as the national flag to celebrate victories in the Sino-Japanese Wars and Russo-Japanese Wars.

After the Japanese defeat in World War II, the Allied forces restricted the use of the flag. The restrictions gradually relaxed in the late 1940s, although critics objected to its display due to past military links. The country had an ideological shift from patriotic to pacifist.

The debate over the use of the flag persisted until the late 1990s. Disputes erupted in schools over the controversy. In 1999, a law declared the Hinomaru as the national flag to end the confusion.

5. Flag Use

All homes in Japan had to display the Hinomaru flag during national holidays before World War II. Citizens greeted the emperor with it. After the war, displays in private homes and commercial buildings became rare. Only government buildings continued to raise it.

Friends and family often provided a signed flag to soldiers awaiting deployment for the empire’s military campaigns. The Good Luck Flag, known as the Hinomaru Yosegaki, was a charm for safety and victory. According to tradition, messages must not touch the red sun.

Japan – the country at a glance