Flag of Japan - Use and Customs

Use and Customs

When the Hinomaru was first introduced, the government required citizens to greet the emperor with the flag. There was some resentment among the Japanese over the flag, resulting in some protests. It took some time for the flag to gain acceptance among the people.

During World War II in Japanese culture, it was a popular custom for friends, classmates, and relatives of a deploying soldier to sign a Hinomaru and present it to him. The flag was also used as a good luck charm and a prayer to wish the soldier back safely from battle. One term for this kind of charm is Hinomaru Yosegaki (日の丸寄せ書き). One tradition is that any writing must not touch the sun disc. After battles, these flags were often captured or later found on deceased Japanese soldiers. While these flags became souvenirs, there has been a growing trend of sending the signed flags back to the descendants of the soldier.

The tradition for signing the Hinomaru as a good luck charm still continues, but in a limited fashion. The Hinomaru Yosegaki could be shown at sporting events to give support to the Japanese national team. Another example is the hachimaki headband, which was white in color and had the red sun in the middle. During World War II, the phrases "Certain Victory" (必勝, Hisshō?) or "Seven Lives" was written on the hachimaki and worn by kamikaze pilots. This denoted that the pilot was willing to die for his country.

Before World War II, all homes were required to display Hinomaru on national holidays. Since the war, the display of the flag of Japan is mostly limited to buildings attached to national and local governments such as city halls; it is rarely seen at private homes or commercial buildings, but some people and companies have advocated displaying the flag on holidays. Although the government of Japan encourages citizens and residents to fly the Hinomaru during national holidays, they are not legally required to do so. Since the Emperor's 80th Birthday on December 23, 2002, the Kyushu Railway Company has displayed the Hinomaru at 330 stations.