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Japanese Service Flags, 1870s

Last modified: 2023-06-03 by zachary harden
Keywords: japan | service ensign | signal flag | hospital ship |
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Japan Geographical Surveying Institute

[Japan Geographical Survey Institute flag] sinister
image by Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 15 June 2014

Japan Geographical Surveying Institute surveying Flag was adopted on Mar 8th 1875 by Proclamation of the Great Council of State No 30. The flag is diagonally divided red over white at sinister hoist.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 07 May 2014

A 2:3 sinister hoist flag, divided over the rising diagonal red over white.
If this was the surveying flag, was there a different organizational flag?
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 15 June 2014

Yes, there were different surveying flags on our pages although some used a word of measurement.
1 C 1892 Army surveying flag red over white with its name.
2 1897 Navy surveying flag blue serrated line on white field.
3 1875 Ministry of Public Works surveying flag diagonally divided red over white with its kanji initial 工.
4 1875 Railway surveying flag white /red vertical bicolor.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 16 May 2014

Did the Japan Geographical Surveying Institute have a flag, other than this Japan Geographical Surveying Institute surveying flag?
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 24 August 2014


Ministry of Navy licensed pilot boat flag

[pilot boat flag]
image by Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 15 June 2014

Ministry of Navy licensed pilot boat flag was adopted on jan 29th 1877 by Proclamation of the Great Council of State No2. The white over red bicolor horizontal stripe flag has its name in Chinese character in black in white stripe at dexter hoist.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 07 May 2014

A 2:3 white over red bicolor with on the white the name of the boat in black kanji. (If I got that right, because the parts I understand don't seem to be a name. Did each boat fly a flag with the name of that boat? And if so, what does this example say?)
Scaled to larger size. I hope the Kanji text is still readable.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 15 June 2014

No, each boat fly a flag with the name of the service namely " chartered pilot" a word of chartered is better than licensed.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 16 May 2014

A 2:3 white over red bicolour with written on the white in black kanji the words "licensed pilot".
(I stuck with "licensed", to mean: He has a license to pilot those waters. I would use "chartered pilot" for a hired pilot, usually for an air-plane. But I didn't et it the first time, so I may still be wrong; feel free to correct me.)
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 24 August 2014


Kamikura Maru ensign

[Kamikura Maru ensign]
image by Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 15 June 2014

Home Ministry Forest Service Western steamship Kamikura Maru ensign was adopted on Jul 30th 1879 by Proclamation of the Great Council of State No 42. The red flag has two white rectangles in upper part at dexter hoist.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 07 May 2014

A 2:3 flag with five vertical stripes red and white, and along the bottom a red stripe of the same width. Redrawn at larger size.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 15 June 2014


Niigata Maru ensign

[Niigata Maru ensign]
image by Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 15 June 2014

Niigata Customs Office steamship Niigata Maru ensign was adopted. The white background has red bend at sinister hoist.
Nozomi Kariyasu
, 07 May 2014

An approximately 9:13 sinister hoist flag, white with a red descending diagonal stripe, a quarter of the length of the hoist in width. (I don't know the measurements or ratio of the real flag.) Redrawn at larger size.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 15 June 2014