福島県 (Fukushima)
Flag
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Flag
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Prefecture
Fukushima Prefecture (福島県, Fukushima-ken) flies a reddish-orange flag bearing a white circular “fu” crest — the first syllable of the prefecture’s name, stylised into a roundel. Both were adopted together on 23 October 1968, the winning entry in a public design competition held to mark the Meiji Centennial. The designer herself later said the shape reminded her of a peach, one of the prefecture’s best-known products, even though the official description reads it as the hiragana letter.
| Prefecture | Fukushima (福島県, Fukushima-ken) |
|---|---|
| Type | Ken (県) — ordinary prefecture |
| Region | Tōhoku |
| Capital | Fukushima City (a separate municipality with its own distinct emblem) |
| Established | 29 August 1871 (haihan-chiken) as the first Fukushima Prefecture; enlarged to its present borders on 21 August 1876 by merger with Iwasaki and Wakamatsu Prefectures, uniting the former Iwaki, Iwashiro, and part of Uzen provinces |
| Emblem (kensho) | White circular stylisation of hiragana “ふ” (fu); adopted 23 October 1968 |
| Flag (kenki) | Reddish-orange field, emblem set slightly upper-left; adopted 23 October 1968 |
| Designer | Junko Shiina, selected by public competition |
| Official tree | Japanese zelkova (keyaki) |
| Official flower | Nemotoshakunage rhododendron (Rhododendron brachycarpum) |
| Official bird | Narcissus flycatcher (kibitaki) |
Flag of Fukushima Prefecture — Reddish-orange field, white circular “fu” crest, adopted 1968
The flag of Fukushima Prefecture is a reddish-orange field (akamidaidai) bearing the prefecture’s white emblem (県章, kensho) set slightly toward the upper left rather than dead centre. According to the prefectural government, the orange ground stands for “affection and hope,” while the off-centre placement of the emblem expresses “the prefecture’s unlimited progress.” The emblem itself is a circular stylisation of “ふ” (fu), the opening hiragana syllable of “Fukushima,” and is officially described as representing “the harmony and unity of the prefecture’s people, symbolising the steady advancement of the prefecture.” Its designer, Junko Shiina, has separately said the rounded form was inspired by the shape of a peach — a fruit for which Fukushima is nationally famous — though this is her own gloss rather than the government’s official symbolism.
Fukushima had used earlier, unrelated symbols before 1968: a 1951 flag depicted the silhouette of Mount Bandai embracing the prefecture’s name, and a 1956 staff emblem combined the old character forms of “fuku” (福) and “ken” (県) in a circular design. Both were retired when the prefecture held a public design competition in 1968 as part of Japan-wide commemorations for the centennial of the Meiji Restoration. The winning design, by Junko Shiina, was formally adopted as both the prefectural emblem and the prefectural flag on 23 October 1968.
Fukushima Prefecture’s modern territory was assembled in stages: the first, much smaller Fukushima Prefecture was created on 29 August 1871 during the nationwide abolition of the han (feudal domains) and their replacement by prefectures (haihan-chiken). It initially covered only a handful of districts in the former Iwashiro Province. The prefecture reached its present borders on 21 August 1876, when it absorbed Iwasaki Prefecture (the coastal Iwaki Province districts, today’s Hamadōri) and Wakamatsu Prefecture (the Aizu districts, adjoining a sliver of former Uzen Province territory). The prefecture’s capital, Fukushima City, is a separate municipal government with its own distinct emblem — not to be confused with the prefectural one described on this page. Some general reference material in circulation attributes the prefectural crest’s origin to a “Kamatsuka family mon,” but no official prefectural source or other independent record consulted for this page supports that claim; it is not repeated here.
A reddish-orange field with a white crest: the hiragana character “fu” (ふ), the first syllable of “Fukushima,” stylised into a circular form and placed slightly toward the upper left.
Both the emblem and the flag were formally adopted on 23 October 1968, chosen through a public design competition held for the Meiji Centennial commemorations.
No verifiable link was found. The emblem’s documented origin is the 1968 public competition; its designer, Junko Shiina, has said she was inspired by a peach, while the prefecture’s official description reads it as the letter “fu.” No official or independent source consulted mentions a Kamatsuka family connection, so this page does not repeat that claim.
No. Fukushima Prefecture is one of Japan’s 47 prefectures; Fukushima City is its capital, a single municipality within it. Each level of government has its own separate, distinct official emblem — this page covers the prefecture’s.
Last reviewed by the Emblema Mundi editorial team on 2026-07-04.