"Wrong does not cease to be wrong because the majority share in it." L.Tolstoy "A government is just a body of people, usually, notably, ungoverned." Shepherd Book
Posts: 12723 | Location: In the gilded cage | Registered: December 09, 2007
I always understood that Japan was the land of the rising Sun, so their flag symbolizes the Sun.
Not clear to me at present why they seem to have had two versions of flag as seen in WWII videos with the version with rays radiating out vs the red dot by itself.
Originally posted by HK Ag: Not clear to me at present why they seem to have had two versions of flag as seen in WWII videos with the version with rays radiating out vs the red dot by itself.
HK Ag
The white flag with the red dot in the center is the national flag. The flag with the red dot and rays radiating outward on a white background is the ensign of the Japanese Navy.
Not unusual for the major military branches of a country to have a separate flag, along with the national flag.
Posts: 14657 | Location: Wine Country | Registered: September 20, 2000
Why is it called the land of the rising sun? Doesn't the sun rise everywhere?
Japan lies east of the Asian mainland. Therefore from that perspective it became known as the Land of the Rising Sun. The red circle represents the sun.
The name Japan comes from the Chinese characters for "sun origin". The Japanese themselves use the Japanese pronunciation, which is Nihon or more formally, Nippon.
