The national flag of Japan, known as Nisshōki (日章旗 "sun flag") or Hinomaru (日の丸 "sun disc") in Japanese, is a base white flag with a large red disc (representing the rising sun) in the center. A legend says that its origins lie in the days of the Mongol invasions of Japan in the 13th century, when the Buddhist priest Nichiren was supposed to have offered the sun disc flag to the Emperor of Japan, who was considered a descendant of the sun goddess Amaterasu. In fact the sun disc symbol is known to have been displayed on folding fans carried in the 12th century by samurai involved in the feud between the Taira and Minamoto clans. It was widely used on military banners in the Sengoku ("Warring States") period of the 15th and 16th centuries. On August 7, 1854, shortly after commerce was opened with the West, the Hinomaru was established as the official flag to be flown from Japanese ships.
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