he most prominent of the national symbols of Japan is the large red disc on a white background that is featured on the national flag of the country. Most of us are aware that Japan is considered to be the land of the rising sun which is precisely what the flag seems to symbolize. The flag commonly goes by the name of Hinomaru which translates as red disc.
History reveals that this national symbol appeared on the military banners that the Japanese used during the 15th and 16th centuries. The symbol was also adopted for use in the civil ensign during the Meiji restoration. But it wasn’t until the year before the millennium that the red disc was officially proclaimed as the national flag by law.
The red disc has served as the template for producing other variations of the flag for public and private use. The Hinomaru is also considered to be a controversial symbol due to the militaristic past of the country and was actually banned for a brief period of time. Today however it exists as the primary national symbol of Japan.