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Tôkyô (Japan)

Last modified: 2000-01-14 by phil nelson
Keywords: tokyo | japan | sun: 6-rays (white) |
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The character ô is used instead of the correct character (o with a horizontal line above) that in Japanese transliterations indicates long vowels.

[Tôkyô (Japan)]
by Pascal Gross - 1998-05-05

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Description of the flag

White sun with 6 rays on dark purple colour field. The sun is stylized Kanji character of Tokyo-Nihon which represents developing capital city Tokyo. Dark purple has been popular colour in Tokyo from old days. Adopted 1964-10-01.

Nozomi Kariyasu - 06 May 1998

Tôkyô ku

Japanese 46 prefectures are composed of cities,towns and villages while only Metropolitan Tôkyô are composed of 23 ku (special districts) in addition to 27 cities, 5 towns and 8 villages including Ogasawara Islands because Metropolitan Tôkyô has big population (14 million).

The ku (special district) concept is more important and larger than ordinary Japanese city and some of them have their own flags which I have been investigating and collecting official government document on their COA and flags with specifications.

I think these flags have never been published in book.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 22 December 1998

On the colors of the Ku flags


12 ku use dull purple
 4 ku use dark violet
 2 ku use white
 1 ku use dark purplish blue
 1 ku use orient blue
 1 ku use deep green
 1 ku use dull blue
 1 ku use dark red
--------
23 ku

Tôkyô main prefecture flag was adopted October 1, 1964 and no ku flag was adopted prior to that date. About half of all follow main prefectute's field colour but the rest use their own preference in colours which seem to be either popular or traditional colour in the ku. There is no such law in Tokyo main prefecture as ku must use same field colour.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 26 March 1999

Links to Tôkyô ku