The Hidden History Behind the Japanese Flag #Shorts

It is said that the red part of the Japanese flag symbolizes the sun. The supreme deity of Kojiki (the myth of the creation of Japan), Amaterasu is a goddess of the sun. Since ancient times, the sun has been an object of faith which brings blessings to the people.

Also, red and white are the traditional colors of Japan often used in celebrations and it is said that red signifies benevolence and vitality, and white signifies holiness and purity.

However, did you know that this flag was first used by a samurai clan?

Samurai who were originally just bodyguards of aristocrats, gradually began to gain more power and started to rule Japan themselves around the 12th century.

The first two samurai clans who fought over ruling Japan were Minamoto and Taira. It is believed that Minamoto used the white flag with a red circle, and Taira used a red flag with a golden circle.

Eventually the Minamoto side won against the Taira clan, and the white and red flag was passed down among Shogun (military leaders of the samurai government) as a sign of those who had achieved unification of the country.

The golden flag with a red circle on the other hand, became a symbol that represents the Imperial Court.

*The content is based on personal studies and experience
There is no intention of denying other theories and cultural aspects

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[Not_Evil_]

Imagine an alternative universe, where the Japanese flag is yellow nd red

[THISfookindude]

The Japanese flag is a pie chart to show how much of Japan is Japan

[mikotagayuna]

The Japanese flag is also called Hinomaru (日の丸) which literally means "circle of the sun". Our country also had a secondary flag that had 16 sun rays but its usage was mostly banned because of the treaty of San Francisco after Japan was defeated in WW2. However, it is still used by the Naval Self Defense Force and is used a lot by Nationalists.

[LetsaskShogo]

It is said that the red part of the Japanese flag symbolizes the sun. The supreme deity of Kojiki (the myth of the creation of Japan), Amaterasu is a goddess of the sun. Since ancient times, the sun has been an object of faith which brings blessings to the people.

Also, red and white are the traditional colors of Japan often used in celebrations and it is said that red signifies benevolence and vitality, and white signifies holiness and purity.

However, did you know that this flag was first used by a samurai clan?

Samurai who were originally just bodyguards of aristocrats, gradually began to gain more power and started to rule Japan themselves around the 12th century.

The first two samurai clans who fought over ruling Japan were Minamoto and Taira. It is believed that Minamoto used the white flag with a red circle, and Taira used a red flag with a golden circle.

Eventually the Minamoto side won against the Taira clan, and the white and red flag was passed down among Shogun (military leaders of the samurai government) as a sign of those who had achieved unification of the country.

The golden flag with a red circle on the other hand, became a symbol that represents the Imperial Court.

*The content is based on personal studies and experience
There is no intention of denying other theories and cultural aspects

[thomasfallanca]

I like how he almost whispers when he speaks in Japanese

[hoppinggnomethe]

I'm amazed that they kind of respect their opponent and used their flag for something else important.

[xanthippus]

The minimalist style makes it one of the most beautiful flags for countries. The Imperial flag is also gorgeous, it'd be cool to see it more often.

[FannyPackMan]

It is pleasing to learn that the losing side of that specific conflict was integrated into Japanese history, but in a different role than the colors of the winning side. This truly represents the unity and harmony that Japan symbolizes. Even the loses still have their place in history, alongside the victor - at least, in this conflict.

[風-yv]

Itachi's Amaterasu came into my mind immediately 😂

[Pixal_Dragon]

It’s pretty cool that they honored the defeated flag by still giving it something to represent

[jasondoingrandomthingonyou]

In 1945 the Japanese were blessed so much that the sun rose at 9:00 at night.

[baamnim]

I'm learning more off your shorts than the lessons i am taking at university 🤣

[srinishavenkatakrishnan]

Thank you for talking about Japanese culture so much you make me want to learn about Japanese culture more.Can you recommend books to know more about the Japanese culture?

[icybear]

have you seen flag of Kyrgyzstan 🇰🇬 it’s red with yellow sun it reminds me of Taida’s flag, so cool

[LadyNuha]

The Bangladeshi flag 🇧🇩 and the Japanese flag 🇯🇵 both look similar

[Franklee_speaking]

*Amaterasu!!!*
* Bleeding Itachi noises *

[darknanigans]

omg! jp and bd's(🇧🇩) flag are so similar in meaning!! the red circle also represents the sun!

[BLAANKSLAATE]

Red and white was unironically always my favorite color combination in anything to weapons and armor themes in games, so the fact it actually has meaning makes me love it even more

[irusvzi]

Amaterasu!
*starts bleeding out of the eyes*

[memedoge]

When he said amaterasu i thought i was going to die