Japan Rising Sun

This Japan Rising Sun flag is the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force Ensign. This flag was officially adopted on 7 October 1889 as Japan's naval ensign but was originally used by feudal warlords as far back as the 1600s and as the war flag of the Imperial Japanese Army from 1870 as policy of the Meiji government. The Japan Rising Sun flag's design comprises the sun disk seen in the Japanese national flag as well as sixteen red rays extending from the sun disk to the border of the flag to symbolise the rising sun. The sun disk symbol has been a feature of Japanese flags for thousands of years. The sun disk symbol is nicknamed Hinomaru or 'Lucky Sun'.

The Japan Rising Sun flag aboard the JDS Kongo