In Japan during the Sengoku period, there was a key symbol on the battlefield that was used to distinguish friendly and enemy forces. In addition to the different colors of armor worn by the soldiers, they also carry "finger flags" for identification. In this era of dogfighting, in addition to the finger flag of ordinary soldiers, there is also a special flag, the military flag, which represents the entire army, similar to today's handsome flag. For example, the famous military flag of Takeda Shingen is called "Wind Forest Volcano".
However, over time, especially after the Meiji Restoration, Japan abolished the clan system and shifted the country's focus from serving the lord to serving the country. In order to ensure the unity of the army, they developed a new military flag in 1874, the "Sun Flag" that we see today. Its pattern is a red sun on a white background, surrounded by 16 red rays of light, and the upper and lower sides of the flag are also decorated with tassels.
Japan's military flag is unique during World War II in that only wings can have military flags. Each flag is presented and signed by the Emperor of Japan himself to show his sense of honor. The wing was vital to the Japanese army, it represented unity and a sense of mission, and whenever the wing was there, the flag was there, and vice versa.
However, why did the Japanese not have military flags at the divisional and brigade levels? This issue relates to Japan's conscription system. Japan has always adopted a local conscription system, dividing the army into divisional districts, and each division has several wing districts. These districts represent different geographical areas, each with its own culture and traditions. In order to strengthen the sense of identity of these areas, Japan decided to award the military flag to the rank of wing, rather than divisions or brigades.
In addition, divisions played the role of strategic units in the Japanese military system. At the beginning there were only 6 divisions, and at the beginning of the war there were only 17, so it was not appropriate to use one division and one military flag. In addition, each military flag needs to be signed by the emperor himself, and managing the signatures of thousands of brigades will be very tedious.
The military flag plays an important role on the battlefield, just like the military flags of other countries, it is a symbol of the fighting spirit of the soldiers, motivating them to move forward. In Japanese battles, once the military flag is raised, the soldiers become extremely passionate and charge forward desperately. The encouragement of this military flag played a key role in actual combat, such as in the Russo-Japanese War, when the 8th Wing, led by its military flag, took the lead in capturing Russian positions. This passion and courage was also vividly demonstrated in the Battle of Nanjing, when the 33rd Wing of the Kyoto Division, inspired by the military flag, conquered the Purple Mountain and Zhongshan Gate, and finally took Nanjing.
For Japanese servicemen, the wing flag was crucial. Each wing flag carries their sense of honor and responsibility, so even if the flag is broken, they will not be easily replaced. The traces of war on the flags were seen as a symbol of their battle, boosting morale and making them more determined. However, if the situation of battle was dangerous, when judging the danger of total annihilation, the Japanese army would burn the military flag to prevent it from being captured by the enemy. Wing flags captured by the enemy will bring serious disgrace, and both the Wing Commander and the Wing Commander will be urgently apologized.
The wing flag is not only a spiritual pillar for soldiers, but also a symbol. During World War II, during the Sino-Japanese War, both the Chinese and Allied forces hoped to capture a Japanese flag, but they failed to do so until the end of the war. This is because the operational doctrine of the Japanese army stipulates that when the war situation is unfavorable to the Japanese army, the military flag should be burned.
During the War of Resistance, the Chinese army almost captured the Japanese wing flag on several occasions. During the Battle of Yichang in 1941, the Japanese 104th Wing was in trouble and even ordered the flag to be burned, but fortunately, reinforcements from the Japanese Third Division arrived in time to avoid this humiliation. However, when the Chinese Expeditionary Force attacked Burma, the flags of the two wings were captured and burned. The two wings, the 113th and 148th Wings of the Japanese army, were completely defeated in the battles of Matsuyama and Tengchong.
Although the Chinese did not succeed in capturing the Japanese wing flag, they forced the Japanese to burn some of the flags during the battle, which was a great achievement in itself. This also shows that the later Japanese army can no longer resist the Allied attack.
In short, the flag of Japan is not only a symbol of unity and honor, but also represents the authority of the emperor. Each wing flag carries the spirit of patriotism, but it is also abused by militarism and becomes a "demon symbol" for invaders.