A light blue N in the shape of a dove on a white ground: Nagasaki adopted its flag in 1991, replacing the old crane emblem.
Every fact about the flag, each with what it means.
Normal flagFIAV symbol: the form of the flag.
CivilFIAV symbol: who may fly the flag.YesIt carries the coat of arms on the cloth.The flag in the words of vexillology and heraldry.
It is a rectangular field with a 2:3 ratio, white and plain, with a light blue mark in the centre and, below it, the name of the prefecture in black characters.
Each element and how many of the 1,390 flags in the catalogue carry it. In yellow, the rarest.
Every date in its story, at a glance.
Its de facto symbol was a crane drawn in 1925
The change came from an identity campaign that the prefecture promoted in 1990 to project…
It is a young flag: the official one did not arrive until 1991
How it was born, how it has changed and what it means.
The flag of the prefecture of Nagasaki (Japan) is white, with a light blue mark in the centre: the letter N drawn as a dove, and below it the name in black kanji. It is a young flag: the official one did not arrive until 1991.
For decades Nagasaki had no official flag. Its de facto symbol was a crane drawn in 1925, nicknamed “the tsuru mark” (tsuru is the Japanese crane), and at events like the National Sports Festival the standard of the prefectural staff was flown: a navy field, a red emblem at the top left and 長崎県 in white at the bottom right. The change came from an identity campaign that the prefecture promoted in 1990 to project a “Nagasaki in full flight”. The new emblem was approved on 1 April 1991 and the flag on 30 August 1991.
The only official flag of Nagasaki is that of 1991; before it, the standard of the prefectural staff was used without being official.
1925-1991
The standard of the prefectural staff, with the crane of 1925, served as the unofficial flag until the current one was approved.
1991
Current design, adopted on 30 August 1991 with a 2:3 ratio.
The explanation is the one set out in the prefectural rule that approved the emblem:
Light blue N
the initial of NAGASAKI turned into a dove, a symbol of peace, and with it the idea of moving forward with strength towards the future.
Central circle
the Earth, expressing the international character of the prefecture.
Light blue
the bright sea and sky of Nagasaki.
Black kanji
the name of the prefecture, 長崎県.
White ground
the prefecture documents no meaning for the field.
The old emblem ceased to be official in 1991, but in August 1993 a bus of the prefectural transport service still bore it on the front, according to a photograph kept on Commons.
The same rule approved two versions: one with the name in kanji and one without it. Both are official, as with Ōita.
The symbol of 1925 was not fixed by any ordinance: the “tsuru mark” was an emblem by custom, used by officials and at the National Games.
Test what you have read about the flag of Nagasaki.
Sources consulted:
Flag image: Original: Unknown author Vector: Alex Tora, Wikimedia Commons · Public domain.
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