The Meaning of Manchoukuo National Flag in Plain English
Every nation in the world has a national flag in order to manifest the nation and its kokutai to the world. The national flag is set as a symbol of the nation. The national flag represents the nation, reveals its nationality, carries forward its national sovereignty, and carries forward the great spirit and mission of a nation.
The picture below is the National Flag of Manchoukuo. It is a five-colour flag made of Yellow, Red, Blue, White and Black. The ground of the flag is yellow. And the canton is made up of red, blue, white and black (in the order from top to bottom) stripes. Together, these four equally sized stripes take ¼ space of the entire flag. The National Flag of Manchoukuo was established when the nation was founded on 1 March 1932 (the first year of Tatung/Taidou), and it has been passed down to today.
The five-colour National Flag of Manchoukuo is a symbol of the independence and freedom of Manchuria, and a manifestation of the Founding Spirits of Manchoukuo, and is loved and championed by all Manchoukuoans. With the great development of Manchoukuo’s diplomacy, our five-colour National Flag has been also widely spread around the world. By Kangteh/Koutoku 12 (AD 1945), the Empire of Manchou and one-third of the states across the world at that time had recognized each other and had formal diplomatic relations. Even after the outbreak of the war with the United Kingdom, the United States and other Western Allies in December of Kangteh/Koutoku 8 (AD 1941), His Imperial Majesty’s Government was still guaranteeing that the property and lives of the people of the United Kingdom or the United States or other Western Allies would not be violated in the territory of Manchoutikuo, which was the same as in peacetime. The five-colour National Flag of Manchoukuo has also been widely welcomed among the allies of our nation along with the Manchoukuo Founding Spirits of being benevalent and friendly to neighbors and creating the Moral World.
In August of Kangteh/Koutoku 12 (AD 1945), the entire territory of Manchuria fell to enemy occupation. Today, as seventy-five years after the fall to enemy occupation, the Restoration Movement of Manchoutikuo has been flourishing. However, our compatriots and foreign people have many misunderstandings about the meaning and the correct use of our National Flag. The General Affairs Board of the State Council, based on the above three laws and ordinanaces on the National Flag made during the reign of Emperor Kangteh/Koutoku, which had already existed before the establishment of His Imperial Majesty’s Government of Manchuria in Exile, hereby explains and elaborates the meaning of the National Flag of Manchoukuo.
The Meaning of the National Flag of Manchoukuo
March 1st of Tatung/Taidou 1 (AD 1932) marks the day when Manchoukuo was founded. On the same day, the Government of our nation promulgated the Government Announcement №3 of March 1st of Tatung/Taidou 1 National Flag, and established the Manchoukuo National Flag, but the meaning of the National Flag had not yet been mentioned. Because our National Flag is similar in appearance and colour to the national flag of the Republic of China during the period of the Peiyang Government (1912–1928), many people who do not know the truth wrongfully regard the “five colours” of the Manchoukuo National Flag as a representative of the “five main ethnic groups” of Manchuria. They think: “the five colours represent the ‘five main ethnicities of Manchukuo’: yellow for ‘Manchu’, red for ‘Han’, blue for ‘Mongolians’, white for ‘Japanese’ and black for ‘Koreans’, that ‘five ethnicities’ live in harmony in one nation, under the ‘Manchu’ rule (that is why they said yellow is the colour of the ground and takes most space). ” This statement seems reasonable, but in fact it is a misunderstanding. It is iniquitous and distorts the meaning of our National Flag. The fallacy of “five colours of the national flag of Manchukuo symbolizing the harmony of the five ethnicities” is quite influential among the people, and thus many people think that the five-colour National Flag of Manchoukuo means that “the other ‘four tribes’ will build Manchukuo under the rule of the‘Manchu’.” This false thought about Manchoukuo National Flag is harmful and completely disregards the historical fact that the so-called and fake “ethnicities” such as “Manchu”, “Han”, and “Mongolian” were created by the Republic of China. This false thought about our National Flag also disregards the historical fact that the concepts of these fake “ethnicities” had been quickly abandoned by our founding fathers after the founding of Manchoukuo. This fallacy is discrediting our five-colour National Flag, and even more so, discrediting the Founding Spirits of Manchoukuo, which are symbolized by our five-colour National Flag.
When Emperor Kangteh/Koutoku ruled Manchoukuo, the State Council issued a number of laws and ordinances, clearly stipulating the meaning of the National Flag of Manchoukuo, and the way of flying the National Flag and other precautions. These laws or ordinances never mentioned that the five colours of our five-colour National Flag could symbolize any ethnic group or race in Manchoukuo. The first official establishment and explanation of the meaning of the National Flag is the State Council Announcement №3 of March 1 of Tatung/Taidou 2 The Explanation of the Meaning of the National Flag written by our beloved Prime Minister Cheng Hsiao-hsu himself on March 1st of Tatung 2 (AD 1933).
The former Prime Minister Cheng Hsiao-hsu, in the Explanation of the Meaning of the National Flag, has expounded that the significance of the National Flag of Manchoukuo in East Asia history is having restored the Standard of the Son of Heaven from the pre-Chin period so as to segregate from the squalid Chinese history of two thousand years since Chin Empire. Prime Minister Cheng has clearly explained the meaning of the five colours in the National Flag of Manchoukuo: the blue represents the east, the red represents the south, the white represents the west, the black represents the north, and the yellow represents the central, to symbolize the central administration governing everywhere nationwide. Prime Minister Cheng has pointed out that the National Flag of Manchoukuo symbolizes the Kingly Way (王道, pronounced as wang-tao in Manchurian or waudau in Manchoukuo Japanese or oudou in current Japan’s Japanese) and the Soil and Grain (社稷, pronounced as she-tsi in Manchurian or syasyoku in Manchoukuo Japanese or shashoku in current Japan’s Japanese). As is known to all, Manchoukuo has been founded based on the Kingly Way, and the Founding Spirits of Manchoukuo lies first on the Kingly Way. In his text, Prime Minister Cheng has repeatedly compared the fundamental difference between the pre-Chin period and the more than two thousand years of history since the Chin Empire, clearly stating that the establishment of Manchoukuo National Flag is unique on the East Asian Continent after the pre-Chin period, in order to emphazise that the Kingly Way that Manchoukuo respectfully follows and practises is the true Kingly Way from pre-Chin Era rather than the false “kingly way” practised by China for more than two thousand years since Chin Empire. The true Kingly Way and the Kami Way (神道,pronounced as shen-tao in Manchurian or shintau/shindau in Manchoukuo Japanese or shintou/shindou in current Japan’s Japanese, known as Shinto in today’s English) are the same, the two are one. Therefore, the National Flag of Manchoukuo symbolizes the Kingly Way, and naturally also symbolizes the Kami Way. All in all, the meaning of the National Flag of Manchoukuo is the great spirit of Manchoukuo being founded based on the Kingly Way and originated from the Kami Way, which is the first in the Founding Spirits of Manchoukuo.
In June of Kangteh/Koutoku 2 (AD 1935), the Information Bureau of the General Affairs Board of the State Council issued the Study of the National Flag of Manchoukuo. Study of the National Flag of Manchoukuo, also known as the National Flag of Manchoukuo, the Kingly Way is Carried Forward by the Flag, has explained in more detail the meaning of the National Flag of Manchoukuo, and once again emphasizes that the meaning of the National Flag of Manchoukuo is the great spirit of the Kingly Way.
The National Flag of Manchoukuo has the flag ground (three quarters) as yellow, and the flag canton (one quarter at the top left) is composed of red, blue, white, and black of the same size. The five colours used in the design of the National Flag of Manchoukuo all have deep meanings in the traditional Asian “Five Elements” (五行, pronounced as wu-hsing in Manchurian or gogyau in Manchoukuo Japanese or gogyou in current Japan’s Japanese)， “Five Bearings” (五方, pronounced as wu-fang in Manchurian or gofau in Manchoukuo Japanese or gohou in current Japan’s Japanese), and “Five Moralities” (五德, pronounced as wu-teh in Manchurian or gotoku in Manchoukuo Japanese and current Japan’s Japanese) cultures. These five colours correspond to the “Five Bearings” on Earth, the “Five Elements” in nature, and the “Five Moralities” in human society. The yellow represents the central (中央, pronounced as chung-yang in Manchurian or tyuuau in Manchoukuo Japanese or chuuou in current Japan’s Japanese), the earth (土, pronounced as tu in Manchurian or do in Manchoukuo Japanese and current Japan’s Japanese), and the virtue of Kingly Humanity (王者之仁德 in Manchurian, pronounced as wang-che-chih-jen-te in Manchurian, 王者の仁德 in Japanese, pronounced as waujanojintoku in Manchoukuo Japanese or oujanojintoku in current Japan’s Japanese) that nurtures all things and rules and unites the entire realm. The central rules over the other four Bearings (the east, the west, the north, and the south), as the central leads to them and unites everywhere together. Thus, it symbolizes the integration, fraternity, harmony, and goodwill. The red represents the south (南方, pronounced as nan-fang in Manchurian or nanpau in Manchoukuo Japanese or nanpou in current Japan’s Japanese), the fire (火, pronounced as huo in Manchurian or kwa in Manchoukuo Japanese or ka in current Japan’s Japanese), and symbolizes the virtues of honesty, sincerity and enthusiasm. The blue represents the east (東方, pronounced as tung-fang in Manchurian or toufau in Manchoukuo Japanese or touhou in current Japan’s Japanese), the wood (木, pronounced as mu in Manchurian or moku in Manchoukuo Japanese and current Japan’s Japanese), and symbolizes youth and holiness. The white represents the west (西方, pronounced as si-fang in Manchurian or seifau in Manchoukuo Japanese or seihou in current Japan’s Japanese), the metal (金, pronounced as kin in Manchurian or kin in Manchoukuo Japanese and current Japan’s Japanese) and symbolizes purity, innocence and righteousness. The black represents the north (北方, pronounced as pei-fang in Manchurian or fokufau in Manchoukuo Japanese or hoppou in current Japan’s Japanese), the water (水, pronounced as shui in Manchurian or sui in Manchoukuo Japanese and current Japan’s Japanese), and symbolizes the virtues of determination, perseverance and endurance. When the Five Bearings on Earth stand with each other, the Five Elements in nature nourish and reinforce each other, and the Five Moralities in society are combined with each other, people will live in harmony and the nation will prosper. And among the Five Elements, the earth plays an especially important role. Without the earth, there is no ground for the fire, the wood, the metal, or the water to exist. Manchoukuoans believe that this is not only the fundamental law of nature, but also the basic rule of our community and nation: without the Kingly Way, there is no way to achieve the virtuous governance which is necessary for security and prosperity, and the moralities represented by the other four colours will be out of question. For this reason, when Manchoukuo was founded, Manchoukuo founding fathers chose these five colours and made them this way on the National Flag. Especially, the yellow was made the colour of the ground which took three fourths space of the flag to emphasize the spirit of ruling this nation with the Kingly Way. Manchoukuo has been founded based on the Kingly Way, which is the true Kingly Way that Manchoukuo respectfully follows and practises, not the false “kingly way” of China. The true Kingly Way and the Kami Way are the same, the two are one. The origin of the Founding of Manchoukuo originated in the Kami Way and all depended on the great rays of Amaterasu-ohokami and the protection and assistance of the Emperor of the Empire of Japan. Amaterasu-ohokami’s great virtue of shining the entire world and nurturing all things is the source of the imperial virtue of the Emperor of the Empire of Japan. Since the Emperor of the Empire of Manchou and the Emperor of the Empire of Japan are spiritually as one, Amaterasu-ohokami’s great virtue is naturally the source of the imperial virtue of the Emperor of the Empire of Manchou as well. The great virtue of Amaterasu-ohokami unites all virtues, thus the imperial virtue of the Emperor of Manchoutikuo unites all virtues. As we all know, the imperial virtue of the Emperor of Manchoukuo is also known as the virtue of Kingly Humanity. The yellow of the National Flag of Manchoukuo represents the imperial virtue of the Emperor of Manchoukuo, and the four colours of red, blue, white, and black represent all other virtues. In such way, all the moralities in society are combined with and promote each other. Still, without the imperial virtue of the Emperor of Manchoukuo, there is no way to achieve the virtuous governance which is necessary for security and prosperity to Manchoukuo, and all other virtues will be out of question. That is why the colour yellow of the flag ground takes up three fourths space of the entire flag, emphasizing the head role of Manchoukuo Emperor’s imperial virtue among all virtues. In short, the meaning of the National Flag of Manchoukuo is the great spirit of the Kingly Way and the Kami Way, which ranks the first and foremost in the Founding Spirits of Manchoukuo.
Above is the introduction of the meaning of the National Flag of Manchoukuo.
General Affairs Board of the State Council
14 June of Kangteh/Koutoku 88
