Imperial Enthronement Ceremony Flags (Japan)

Last modified: 2023-06-03 by zachary harden
Keywords: japan | imperial succession flag | imperial enthronement ceremony flag | banzai | halberd | chrysanthemum |
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• Introduction
• Banners:
  • Banzai Ban (萬歳旛)
  • Nissho Toban (日像纛旛)
  • Gessho Toban (月像纛旛)
  • Kikkassho Daikinban (菊花章大錦旛) – red
  • Kikkassho Daikinban – white
  • Kikkassho Chukinban (菊花章中錦旛) – blue
  • Kikkassho Chukinban – red
  • Kikkassho Chukinban – purple
  • Kikkassho Chukinban – yellow
  • Kikkassho Chukinban – white
  • Kikkassho Shokinban (菊花章小錦旛) – five color variants
• 1915 Enthronement Ceremony
• Banners:
  • Banzai Ban 萬歳旛)
  • Kashira Yatagarasukei Dai Kinban 頭八咫烏形大錦旛)
  • Reishi Daikin Ban 霊鵄大錦旛)
  • Kikkassho Chukinban (菊花章中錦旛) – blue
  • Kikkassho Chukinban – red
  • Kikkassho Chukinban – yellow
  • Hoko (鉾) – halberd

See also:

• Japan
• Japan: Index of Pages
• Japanese Royal Flags

By custom, the Imperial House uses special ornate flags at the enthronement ceremony of his Majesty the Emperor.

Nozomi Kariyasu, 26 Dec 2009

Banzai Ban (萬歳旛) Banner with "banzai" written on it. The banner measures 550cm in length and 90cm in width. It is used throughout the ceremonies to imbue the atmosphere with solemnity. The Banzai Ban was made with a prayer that peace would continue to prevail through the realm. On the red background, two Chinese characters "ban" and "zai" 萬歳 (literally meaning "10,000 years," or "long life") are picked out in glistening gold. The edges of the banner are decorated in a two-tone iridescent thread. Nozomi Kariyasu, 26 Dec 2009

Nissho Toban (日像纛旛) Imperial Banner bearing the sign of the sun. The banner measures 550cm in length and 90cm in width. Over brocaded images of clouds on the red background , a gold sun is embroidered. The image of the sun and moon on the banners represent the universe. Nozomi Kariyasu, 26 Dec 2009

Gessho Toban (月像纛旛) Imperial Banner bearing the sign of the moon. The banner measures 550cm in length and 90cm in width. In contrast to the Nissho Toban, the banner is made of silver brocade with a cloud design on which a silver moon is embroidered. Nozomi Kariyasu, 26 Dec 2009

   images by Kazutaka Nishiura, 26 Dec 2009

Kikkassho Daikinban (菊花章大錦旛) – red Large Banner with the Chrysanthemum crest of the Imperial House. The banner measures 550cm in length and 90cm in width. The banner is trailed with clouds described in iridescent five-tone red based brocade and the chrysanthemum crest of the Imperial House is embroidered in gold. Nozomi Kariyasu, 27 Dec 2009

Kikkassho Daikinban – white Large Banner with the Chrysanthemum crest of the Imperial House. The banner measures 550cm in length and 90cm in width. The banner has the same clouds trailing but they are described in iridescent five tone white brocade and the chrysanthemum crest of the Imperial House is embroidered in gold. Nozomi Kariyasu, 27 Dec 2009

Kikkassho Chukinban (菊花章中錦旛) – blue Medium Banner with the chrysanthemum crest of the Imperial House. The banner measures 450cm in length and 85cm in width. it has five different colors: blue... Nozomi Kariyasu, 28 Dec 2009

   images by Kazutaka Nishiura, 27 and 28 Dec 2009

Kikkassho Chukinban – red ...red... Nozomi Kariyasu, 28 Dec 2009

Kikkassho Chukinban – purple ...purple... Nozomi Kariyasu, 28 Dec 2009

Kikkassho Chukinban – yellow ...yellow... Nozomi Kariyasu, 28 Dec 2009

   images by Kazutaka Nishiura, 28 Dec 2009

Kikkassho Chukinban – white ...and white. On every color of banner, the chrysanthemum crest of the Imperial House is embroidered in gold. Nozomi Kariyasu, 28 Dec 2009

Kikkassho Shokinban (菊花章小錦旛) Small Banner with the Chrysanthemum crest of the Imperial House. The banner measures 400cm in length and 76cm in width. It has five different colors: blue, red, purple, yellow and white. On every colored banner, the chrysanthemum crest of the Imperial House is embroidered in gold. Those images are the same as Kikkassho Chukinban Banners, in five colors. The Japanese have a tradition of equating blue (青, aoi) with green (緑, midori). Nozomi Kariyasu, 29 Dec 2009

   image by Kazutaka Nishiura, 29 Dec 2009

The following flags were used at the enthronement ceremony of Emperor Taisho (Yoshihito) in November 1915.

Nozomi Kariyasu, 22 Jan 2010

Banzai Ban (萬歳旛) Banner with "banzai" written on it. The banner measures 550cm in length and 90cm in width. It is used throughout the ceremonies to imbue the atmosphere with solemnity. The Banzai Ban was made with a prayer that peace would continue to prevail through the realm. On the red background, two Chinese characters "ban" and "zai" 萬歳 (literally meaning "10,000 years," or "long life") are picked out in glistening gold. The edges of the banner are decorated in a two-tone iridescent thread. Nozomi Kariyasu, 22 Jan 2010

Kashira Yatagarasukei Dai Kinban (頭八咫烏形大錦旛) Imperial Banner bearing the three-legged jungle crow. The banner measures 550cm in length and 90cm in width. Over brocaded images of clouds on the red background, a black crow is embroidered. Nozomi Kariyasu, 22 Jan 2010

Reishi Daikin Ban 霊鵄大錦旛) Imperial Banner bearing the gold kite. The banner measures 550cm in length and 90cm in width. The banner is in contrast to the the banner bearing three-legged jungle crow: on silver brocade with a cloud design, a gold kite is embroidered. Nozomi Kariyasu, 22 Jan 2010

   images by Kazutaka Nishiura, 22 Jan 2010

Kikkassho Chukinban (菊花章中錦旛) – blue Medium Banner with the chrysanthemum crest of the Imperial House. The banner measures 450cm in length and 85cm in width. it has five different colors : blue, red, purple , yellow and white. On every color of banner, the chrysanthemum crest of the Imperial House is embroidered in gold. In this instance, a light blue banner was used instead of a green banner. Nozomi Kariyasu, 23 Jan 2010

Kikkassho Chukinban – red Medium Banner with the chrysanthemum crest of the Imperial House. The banner measures 450cm in length and 85cm in width. On the red banner, the chrysanthemum crest of the Imperial House is embroidered in gold. Nozomi Kariyasu, 23 Jan 2010

Kikkassho Chukinban – yelllow Medium Banner with the chrysanthemum crest of the Imperial House. The banner measures 450cm in length and 85cm in width. On the yellow banner, the chrysanthemum crest of the Imperial House is embroidered in gold. Nozomi Kariyasu, 23 Jan 2010

   images by Kazutaka Nishiura, 23 Jan 2010

Hoko (鉾) – halberd The halberd measures 386cm in length. It has a banner with a 15cm diameter comma-shaped crest (巴) embroidered in gold on its cloud-patterned orange cloth. Nozomi Kariyasu, 23 Jan 2010

   image by Kazutaka Nishiura, 23 Jan 2010