Daimyo Flags, 19th Century

Last modified: 2002-02-23 by phil nelson
Keywords: daimyo | mon | japan: feudal flags |
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• Daimyo flags, 15th - 17th century
• Historical flags of Japan

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

by Ivan Sache

Makino, daimyo of Nagaoka

by Ivan Sache

Ogasawara, daimyo of Kokura

by Ivan Sache

Ii, daimyo of Hikone

by Ivan Sache

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 holizontal 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 interstingly 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 holizontal stripes with hinomaru in the center) for a short period between 1870-1875.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 29 October 2000