This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website

Daimyo Flags, 19th Century

Last modified: 2007-02-10 by phil nelson
Keywords: daimyo | mon | japan: feudal flags | date | uwajima | makino | nagaoka | ogasawara | kokura | ii | hikone |
Links: FOTW homepage | search | disclaimer and copyright | write us | mirrors



See also:

Ottfried Neubecker, in "Le grand livre de l'heraldique" (French edition of "Heraldry: sources, symbols and meaning"), mentions as a source for Daimyo flags: H.G. Stroehl "Japanisches Wappenbuch 'Nihon Moncho' ", Wien (1906) and shows on p. 210-211 some standards used by the Damyos of the coast in the 19th century.
Ivan Sache, 03 January 2000

Date, daimyo of Uwajima

[Date, Daimyo of Uwajima]
by Ivan Sache

Makino, daimyo of Nagaoka

[Makino, daimyo of Nagaoka]
by Ivan Sache

Ogasawara, daimyo of Kokura

[Ogasawara, daimyo of Kokura]
by Ivan Sache

Ii, daimyo of Hikone

[Ii, daimyo of Hikone]
by Ivan Sache


Unknown Daimyo flag

[unknown Daimyo flag]
by Jaume Ollé


This flag is from several old plates. It appears to be an erroneous flag flag or the flag of Tokugawa, the Japanese shogun dinasty, c. 1850.
Jaume Ollé, 4 January 2000


I have investigated this flag from lots of flag-related books/records available in Japan but cannot find out description of such flag.

The flag is erroneous and has been reported mistakenly to Europe/America in 1850's . But the fact was found that in 1854 Tokugawa shogunate adopted Hinomaru as civil ensign and white, "black", white horizontal flag as Shogunate vessel's ensign together with streamer of white/blue/white/blue/white/blue stripes hoisted. The white and black colours were used by the Tokugawa family.

I suppose Europeans (Dutch, I believe) reported this Shogunate vessel's ensign with wrong colours.

More interestingly until 1854 there was a reversed proposal in Shogunate that Hinomaru be Tokugawa Shogunate vessel's ensign and white. black, white stripes be civil ensign.

Incidentally the Meiji government restored/modified this idea in Japanese civil ensign (white, black, white horizontal stripes with hinomaru in the center) for a short period between 1870-1875.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 29 October 2000

Flags of the World is produced and maintained by an Editorial Staff of unpaid volunteers and the contents of these pages are offered freely to the Internet community.
This Fotw.net mirror is sponsored by MrFlag.com (for flag and bunting ). Web design and eCommerce for MrFlag.com by Wired Media .