福岡県 (Fukuoka)
Flag
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Flag
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Prefecture
Fukuoka Prefecture (福岡県, Fukuoka-ken) flies a light-blue flag bearing a white emblem (県章, kenshō) that cleverly hides the prefecture’s name inside its official flower: the hiragana characters ふ (fu) and く (ku) are stylised into the outline of a five-petalled plum blossom (ume). The emblem was chosen by public competition and formally adopted on 10 May 1966. Note that this page covers the prefecture, not the city of the same name — Fukuoka City, the prefectural capital, has its own separate municipal emblem.
| Prefecture | Fukuoka (福岡県, Fukuoka-ken) |
|---|---|
| Type | Ken (県) — ordinary prefecture |
| Region | Kyūshū (northern coast, facing the Genkai Sea and Kanmon Straits) |
| Capital | Fukuoka City (distinct from the prefecture; its own separate emblem) |
| Established | 1871 haihan-chiken reforms created several short-lived prefectures across former Chikuzen, Buzen, and Chikugo provinces; these were consolidated into the present Fukuoka Prefecture by 1876 |
| Emblem (kenshō) | Hiragana ふく (Fuku) stylised into a plum-blossom outline, white on light blue; adopted 10 May 1966 (Notice No. 342) |
| Official flower | Plum blossom (ume), designated 1954 |
| Official tree | Kurume azalea (tsutsuji), designated 5 September 1966 |
| Official bird | Japanese bush warbler (uguisu), designated 3 July 1964 |
Flag of Fukuoka Prefecture — Light-blue field, white plum-blossom emblem, adopted 1966
The flag of Fukuoka Prefecture is a light-blue field bearing the prefecture’s white emblem (県章, kenshō): the two hiragana characters ふ (fu) and く (ku) — the opening syllables of “Fukuoka” — interwoven and rounded so that together they trace the outline of a five-petalled plum blossom, the prefecture’s official flower. According to the prefectural government, the design is meant to express peace, the development of the prefecture, and the harmony and advancement of its people. Officially only the emblem itself carries legal status; the light-blue flag bearing it in white is the conventional form seen at prefectural buildings and events, and black-on-white or red-on-white versions are also used in some contexts, such as national sporting meets.
The emblem was selected through a public design competition held by the prefectural government and was formally adopted on 10 May 1966 by Prefectural Notice No. 342. Unlike some prefectures whose crests preserve marks used since the 19th century, Fukuoka’s emblem is a mid-20th-century creation, part of a wave of new prefectural symbols designed across Japan in the 1960s.
The choice of the plum blossom as the emblem’s shape connects it to the prefecture’s own official flower, itself designated in 1954 partly in homage to the plum trees long celebrated at Dazaifu Tenman-gū, a shrine in the prefecture famous in classical Japanese poetry for its plum groves.
Because the prefectural capital happens to share its name with the prefecture itself, it is easy to conflate the two. Fukuoka Prefecture is one of Japan’s 47 prefectures, occupying the northern part of Kyūshū and, with a population above five million, the most populous prefecture on the island. Fukuoka City is its seat of government and largest city, but it is administratively distinct and maintains its own separate municipal flag and emblem. This page describes only the prefecture-level emblem and flag shown above.
A light-blue field with a white emblem: the hiragana ふ (fu) and く (ku) stylised into the outline of a five-petalled plum blossom, the prefecture’s official flower.
No. Fukuoka Prefecture is one of Japan’s 47 prefectures, covering the northern part of Kyūshū; Fukuoka City is its capital and largest city, located within it. The two are separate levels of government, each with its own distinct official emblem.
The prefectural emblem was formally adopted on 10 May 1966 by Prefectural Notice No. 342, following a public design competition.
The plum blossom (ume), designated in 1954 and also the shape used in the emblem; the Kurume azalea (tsutsuji), designated in 1966; and the Japanese bush warbler (uguisu), designated in 1964.
Last reviewed by the Emblema Mundi editorial team on 2026-07-04.