The central disc on Japan’s national flag is red.
Japan’s flag, called the Nisshōki or Hi no maru, places a red disc on a white field. The disc represents the sun, reflecting Japan’s long-standing association with the phrase “Land of the Rising Sun.” White is commonly interpreted as symbolizing honesty, purity, or integrity, while the red sun suggests brightness and sincerity.
The flag’s current proportions and disc placement were formally defined in Japan’s Flag and National Anthem Act of 1999. The sun disc is centered slightly toward the hoist in the legal design, and its diameter is three-fifths of the flag’s height.
Red-sun imagery has appeared in Japanese banners for centuries, including military standards used by samurai and later imperial forces. The modern flag is visually simple, but its meaning and public use have been shaped by Japan’s ancient symbolism and its modern history.