National Sports Festival (Japan) (original) (raw)

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国民体育大会, Kokutai, 国体

| 2:3 Version [ [ (Japan)] ](../images/j/jp@nsf-1.gif) | 7:10 Version [ ](../images/j/jp@nsf-3.gif) | | | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | |

Images by Zachary Harden, 6 March 2017

Introduction
Description
Ceremonial Flag
Regional Flags
Prefectural Kokutai Flags

See also:

Introduction

The National Sports Festival (国民体育大会, Kokutai, 国体) is Japan's largest national sports meet.
The first National Sports Festival was held in 1946 in the Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe region, mainly in Kyoto. Since then, the Festival has been held every year with prefectures competing against one another, with prefectures hosting the festival in succession. In 1961, the National Sports Festival was made an official annual event under the Sports Promotion Law, and since then the festivals have been held jointly by the Japan Sports Association, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the hosting prefectures.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 31 Oct 2009

Description

The Festival logo and the flag was adopted at the 2nd National Sports Festival in 1947. The flag is white with the centered logo, a red torch flame ascending to the right at 30°, surrounded by a blue circle of width 1/10 of the diameter of the whole logo.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 31 Oct 2009

The Japan Sports Association has provided a guide for the logo of the National Sports Festival (Kokutai). This shows the specific color shades of the red and blue (DIC 2498 and DIC 256, respectively). However, there is no ratio prescribed for the logo ratio to a flag.
Zachary Harden, 6 March 2017

The logo ratio to a flag seems to follow [the] Hinomaru from the photo. (Ed. note: the Hinomaru disc ratio is 3/5th the width of the flag.)
Nozomi Kariyasu, 6 March 2017

Ceremonial Flag

Zachary Harden, 10 November 2017

During some research on the Akita flag, there are apparently two more types of the Kokutai flag. The first one is a ceremonial banner that is used, similar to how the Olympic and Paralympic flag is used. It is showed at Japanese Wikipediathat this flag has been around since 1948 and it has the text "国民体育大会旗" (National Sports Festival Flag) in gold by the hoist.
Zachary Harden, 10 November 2017

Regional Flags

Zachary Harden, 10 November 2017

There is a regional flag for Tohuku events. This region, consisting of Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi and Yamagata prefectures, uses a logo on white. This logo has the Kokutai emblem on a stylized map of the region.
Zachary Harden, 10 November 2017

Prefectural Kokutai Flags

Most prefectures use their official prefectural flags, but some use a special flag for the festival or had used one before the official prefectural flag was adopted.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 31 Oct 2009

[ [Kokutai Prefecture Flags (Japan)] ](../images/j/jp-nsf.jpg)
image located by Nozomi Kariyasu, 31 March 2015

Kokutai Prefecture Flags in Japan Kokutai opening ceremony. (Source: 2012 Kokutai in Gifu Prefecture)
Nozomi Kariyasu, 31 March 2015

Tokyo Prefectural Kokutai Flag

[ [Tokyo Prefectural National Sports Festival Flag (Japan)] ](../images/j/jp@13.gif)
image by Kazutaka Nishiura, 31 Oct 2009

Tokyo Prefecture: Dull-purple flag charged with its name horizontally in white.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 31 Oct 2009

Fukui Prefectural Kokutai Flag

[ [Fukui Prefectural National Sports Festival Flag (Japan)] ](../images/j/jp@18.gif)
image by Kazutaka Nishiura, 31 Oct 2009

Fukui Prefecture: White flag charged with its name horizontally in red.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 31 Oct 2009

Kagawa Prefectural Kokutai Flag

[ [Kagawa Prefectural National Sports Festival Flag (Japan)] ](../images/j/jp@37.gif)
image by Kazutaka Nishiura, 31 Oct 2009

Kagawa Prefecture: Olive green flag with a white border on three sides and its name in white horizontally.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 31 Oct 2009

Variant

[ [Kagawa Prefectural National Sports Festival Flag (Japan)] ](../images/j/jp@37v.gif)
image by Kazutaka Nishiura, 31 Oct 2009

Kagawa Prefecture has a variant: an olive green flag charged with the white stylized kanji é¦™å·ã€€("Kagawa.")
Nozomi Kariyasu, 28 Oct 2009

Kanagawa Prefectural Kokutai Flag

[ [Kanagawa Prefectural National Sports Festival Flag (Japan)] ](../images/j/jp@14.gif)
image by Kazutaka Nishiura, 31 Oct 2009

Kanagawa Prefecture uses a white flag charged with the red prefectural emblem in canton and its name in kanji 神奈川 ("KANAGAWA") in red horizontally.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 31 Oct 2009

Kyoto Prefectural Kokutai Flag

[ [Kyoto Prefectural National Sports Festival Flag (Japan)] ](../images/j/jp@26.gif)
image by Kazutaka Nishiura, 31 Oct 2009

The sporting flag of Kyoto can be seen here, with a Latin inscription.
Valentin Poposki, 11 Nov 2005

Kyoto Prefecture uses three horizontal stripes of deep purplish red, cobalt blue and dark purplish blue charged with the word KYOTO in white horizontally in upper hoist. The three colors represent the enthusiasm of youth (purple) and the beautiful scenery of the mountains and rivers of Kyoto. (light blue, blue).
Nozomi Kariyasu, 16 Nov 2005 and 31 Oct 2009

Shizuoka Prefectural Kokutai Flag

[ [Shizuoka Prefectural National Sports Festival Flag (Japan)] ](../images/j/jp@22.gif)
image by Kazutaka Nishiura, 31 Oct 2009

Shizuoka Prefecture uses an orange flag charged with a white Mt. Fuji in canton and its name in kanji 静岡県 ("Shizuoka Prefecture") in black horizontally.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 31 Oct 2009

Wakayama Prefectural Kokutai Flag

[ [Wakayama Prefectural National Sports Festival Flag (Japan)] ](../images/j/jp@30.gif)
image by Kazutaka Nishiura, 31 Oct 2009

Wakayama Prefecture uses a blue flag charged with the katakana ワ ("WA") in red with thin white fimbriation, while the official prefectural flag is a white field with a blue emblem, the katakana ワ.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 31 Oct 2009

Former Flag

[ [Wakayama Prefectural National Sports Festival Flag (Japan)] ](../images/j/jp@30x.gif)
image by Kazutaka Nishiura, 01 Nov 2009

Wakayama Prefecture previously used an orange flag charged with green W with a red winged bird inside and the kanji 和歌山県 in black, arranged horizontally.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 01 Nov 2009

Okinawa Prefectural Kokutai Flag

[ [Okinawa Prefectural National Sports Festival Flag (Japan)] ](../images/j/jp@47.gif)
image by Kazutaka Nishiura, 31 Oct 2009

Okinawa Prefecture: Turqoise flag charged with the white kanji 沖縄 ("Okinawa ") horizontally.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 28 and 31 Oct 2009

Nagasaki Prefectural Kokutai Flag

[ [Nagasaki Prefectural National Sports Festival Flag (Japan)] ](../images/j/jp@42.gif)
image by Kazutaka Nishiura, 01 Nov 2009

Nagasaki Prefecture: Purplish/dark blue flag charged with a crane of red and white in the canton and the kanji 長崎県 in white horizontally along the bottom.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 01 Nov 2009

Niigata Prefectural Kokutai Flag

[ [Niigata Prefectural National Sports Festival Flag (Japan)] ](../images/j/jp@15.gif)
image by Kazutaka Nishiura, 01 Nov 2009

Niigata Prefecture (新潟県国体旗): dark blue over red, divided by a thin white diagonal line. The dark plkue field is charged with a red S with thin white fimbriation, the red field with the kanji 新潟 in white along the bottom.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 01 Nov 2009

Ishikawa Prefectural Kokutai Flag

[ [Ishikawa Prefectural National Sports Festival Flag (Japan)] ](../images/j/jp@17.gif)
image by Kazutaka Nishiura, 01 Nov 2009

Ishikawa Prefecture (石川県国体旗): three vertical stripes of red, white and blue with a white triangle both sides and the kanji 石川 in black vertically.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 01 Nov 2009

Hiroshima Prefectural Kokutai Flag

[ [Hiroshima Prefectural National Sports Festival Flag (Japan)] ](../images/j/jp@34.gif)
image by Kazutaka Nishiura, 29 March 2015

The maroon flag with the prefecture kanji name horizontally in white in the center. The flag was in use before the prefecture flag was adopted in 1968.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 29 March 2015

Saga Prefectural Kokutai Flag

[ [Saga Prefectural National Sports Festival Flag (Japan)] ](../images/j/jp@41.gif)
image by Kazutaka Nishiura, 29 March 2015

The green flag with the prefecture kanji name horizontally in yellow in the center. The flag was in use before the prefecture flag was adopted in 1968.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 29 March 2015

Shiga Prefectural Kokutai Flag

[ [Shiga Prefectural National Sports Festival Flag (Japan)] ](../images/j/jp@25.gif)
image by Kazutaka Nishiura, 29 March 2015

The blue flag with the prefecture emblem at canton and the prefecture katakana name horizontally in white at lower fly. The flag was in use before the prefecture flag was adopted in 1968.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 29 March 2015

Kochi Prefectural Kokutai Flag

[ [Kochi Prefectural National Sports Festival Flag (Japan)] ](../images/j/jp@39.gif)
image by Kazutaka Nishiura, 29 March 2015

The maroon flag with the prefecture emblem at canton and the prefecture kanji name horizontally in white at lower fly. The flag was in use for several years in Kokutai since 1953.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 29 March 2015

Osaka Prefectural Kokutai Flag

[ [Osaka Prefectural National Sports Festival Flag (Japan)] ](../images/j/jp@27.gif)
image by Kazutaka Nishiura, 29 March 2015

The white flag with a red ring and the prefecture kanji name vertically in blue in the center. The white color stands for purity, the red color for energy of industrial prefecture Osaka and the blue for youth of water capital, sincerity and hope. The flag was in use before the 1st prefecture flag was adopted in 1968.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 29 March 2015

Kumamoto Prefectural Kokutai Flag

[ [Kumamoto Prefectural National Sports Festival Flag (Japan)] ](../images/j/jp@43.gif)
image by Kazutaka Nishiura, 31 March 2015

The white flag has blue horizontal stripe with hiragana prefecture name くまもと Kumamoto in white at the bottom part and above it blue Mt. Aso with red volcanic smoke and the former domain’s lord Kiyomasa Kato’s family emblem circled dot in form of a sacred torch of Kokutai. The flag was in use during 1960-1966 in Kokutai.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 31 March 2015

Fukuoka Prefectural Kokutai Flag

[ [Fukuoka Prefectural National Sports Festival Flag (Japan)] ](../images/j/jp@40.gif)
image by Zachary Harden, 10 May 2017

The white flag has red prefecture emblem featuring the prefecture flower plum in the center. They change colors of the official prefecture blue flag with white emblem. The white flag was introduced in 1966 and is still in use in Kokutai.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 31 March 2015

Okayama Prefectural Kokutai Flag

[ [Okayama Prefectural National Sports Festival Flag (Japan)] ](../images/j/jp@33.gif)
image by Kazutaka Nishiura, 31 March 2015

The white flag has orange, green and blue three color logo mark in the center and the prefecture kanji name 岡山 Okayama in black horizontally at the upper fly. The orange color stands for friendship, the blue color for order and the green for service. The flag was in use in Kokutai since 1962 until the official prefecture flag was adopted in 1967.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 31 March 2015

Gunma Prefectural Kokutai Flag

[ [Gunma Prefectural National Sports Festival Flag (Japan)] ](../images/j/jp@10.gif)
image by Kazutaka Nishiura, 31 March 2015

The blue flag has red logo mark in white circle at the upper fly and the prefecture kanji name 群馬 Gunma horizontally in white at the bottom part. The flag was in use in Kokutai before the official prefecture flag was adopted in 1968.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 31 March 2015

Tottori Prefectural Kokutai Flag

[ [Tottori Prefectural National Sports Festival Flag (Japan)] ](../images/j/jp@31.gif)
image by Kazutaka Nishiura, 31 March 2015

The red, white and purple horizontal striped flag has yellow bird at the canton and the prefecture kanji name 鳥取 Tottori horizontally in black in the center. The flag was in use in Kokutai before the prefecture official flag was adopted in 1968.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 31 March 2015

Akita Prefectural Kokutai Flag

| [ [Akita Prefectural National Sports Festival Flag (Japan)] ](../images/j/jp@05.gif)image by Kazutaka Nishiura and Zachary Harden, 09 November 2017 | | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |

While I am not sure when this flag was adopted for use in sports competition, the earliest I was able to find was in 2007. The difference between this flag and the main prefecture flag is the addition of "Akita" in Kanji (秋田) at the top hoist (Ed. note: The main prefecture flag hoist is towards the (normally) fly end of the flag; you can see it here and here.)
Zachary Harden, 09 November 2017

Previous Flag

[ [Akita Prefectural National Sports Festival Flag (Japan)] ](../images/j/jp@05p.gif)
image by Kazutaka Nishiura and Zachary Harden, 10 November 2017

A photo from the host of the 2018 Kokutai, Fukui Prefecture, shows a museum of all flags and artefacts from the last games hosted there in 1968 (Showa 43). At theFukui 2018 website, there shows an older flag used by the Akita Prefecture delegation where the same wine-red is used but the prefecture emblem is shrunk and placed at the top hoist; the name of the prefecture is still in white, however, it is larger in size and in a different font and now placed at the bottom.
Zachary Harden, 10 November 2017