Design
Passed in 1870, the Prime Minister's Proclamation No. 57 had two provisions related to the national flag. The first provision specified who flew the flag and how it was flown; the second specified how the flag was made. The ratio was seven units length and ten units width (7:10). The red disc, which represents the sun, was calculated to be three-fifths of the total size of the hoist length. The law decreed the disc to be in the center, but it was usually placed one-hundredths (1/100) towards the hoist. On October 3 of the same year, regulations about the design of the merchant ensign and other naval flags were passed. For the merchant flag, the ratio was two units length and three units width (2:3). The size of the disc remained the same, however the sun disc was placed one-twentieth (1/20) towards the hoist.
When the Law Regarding the National Flag and National Anthem passed, the dimensions of the flag were slightly altered. The overall ratio of the flag was changed to two units length by three units width (2:3). The red disc was shifted towards dead center, but the overall size of the disc stayed the same. The background of the flag is white and the sun disc is red (紅色 (beni iro?)), but the exact color shades were not defined in the 1999 law. The only hint given about the red color that it is a "deep" shade.
Issued by the Japan Defense Agency (now the Ministry of Defense) in 1973 (Showa 48), specifications list the red color of the flag as 5R 4/12 and the white as N9 in the Munsell color chart. The document was changed on March 21, 2008 (Heisei 20) to match the flag's construction with current legislation and updated the Munsell colors. The document lists acrylic fiber and nylon as fibers that could be used in construction of flags used by the military. For acrylic, the red color is 5.7R 3.7/15.5 and white is N9.4; nylon has 6.2R 4/15.2 for red and N9.2 for white. In a document issued by the Official Development Assistance (ODA), the red color for the Hinomaru and the ODA logo is listed as DIC 156 and CMYK 0-100-90-0. During deliberations about the Law Regarding the National Flag and National Anthem, there was a suggestion to either use a bright red (赤色 (aka iro?)) shade or from the color pool of the Japanese Industrial Standards.
| Official color (White) | Official color (Red) | Color system | Source | Year | URL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N9 | 5R 4/12 | Munsell | DSP Z 8701C | 1973 | |
| N/A | 156 | DIC | ODA Symbol Mark Guidelines | 1995 | |
| N/A | 0-100-90-0 | CMYK | ODA Symbol Mark Guidelines | 1995 | |
| N/A | 186 Coated | Pantone | Album des pavillons nationaux et des marques distinctives | 2000 | |
| N/A | 0-90-80-5 | CMYK | Album des pavillons nationaux et des marques distinctives | 2000 | |
| N9.4 (Acrylic) | 5.7R 3.7/15.5 (Acrylic) | Munsell | DSP Z 8701E | 2008 | |
| N9.2 (Nylon) | 6.2R 4/15.2 (Nylon) | Munsell | DSP Z 8701E | 2008 | |
| N/A | 032 Coated | Pantone | 2008 Summer Olympics Protocol Guide – Flag Manual | 2008 |
Read more about this topic: Flag Of Japan
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—Sidney Buchman (1902–1975)
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—François, Duc De La Rochefoucauld (1613–1680)
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