Hokkaido — Red Star Emblem and Flag of Japan’s Northern Frontier

Description

The flag of Hokkaido is a dark blue field charged with the prefecture’s emblem (北海道章, Hokkaidō-shō): a red seven-pointed star surrounded by a ring of white light. According to the prefecture’s own explanation of the design, the navy blue stands for the northern seas and sky, the red star for the indomitable energy of Hokkaido’s people, and the white halo for brilliance and the region’s snow and wind. Taken together, the star is read as a symbol of hope and continuing development for the island.

Origins — from the Kaitakushi’s Hokushin Star to the Modern Emblem

1869–1882 — The Kaitakushi. Following the Meiji Restoration, the government created the Hokkaido Development Commission (開拓使, Kaitakushi) in 1869 to administer and settle Japan’s northern frontier. From February 1872, the Commission flew a flag bearing a red five-pointed star on a blue field, popularly known as the “Hokushin” (北辰, North Star) flag, on its official ships and buildings. A proposal that same year by Vice-Minister Kuroda Kiyotaka to redesign the star with seven points was considered but not adopted at the time, and the Commission stopped flying the flag around 1878. The five-pointed star nonetheless became a lasting emblem of the pioneer era — it survives today, for instance, in the gold star of the Sapporo Beer logo, and on Meiji-era landmarks such as Sapporo’s Clock Tower.

1882–1886 — Three prefectures. The Kaitakushi was abolished in 1882 and its territory divided into three short-lived prefectures: Hakodate, Sapporo, and Nemuro.

1886–1947 — The Hokkaido Agency. The three-prefecture arrangement proved unworkable for governing such a vast, sparsely settled territory, and in 1886 they were consolidated under the Hokkaido Agency (北海道庁, Hokkaidō-chō), a special national administrative body rather than an ordinary prefecture.

1947 — Full prefectural status. Hokkaido became a prefecture on equal legal footing with Japan’s other 46 under the revised Local Autonomy Law. It remains the only prefecture designated dō (道, “circuit”), a term historically used for large regional divisions.

1 May 1967 — The modern flag and emblem. Ahead of the 1968 centennial of Hokkaido’s modern development, prefectural authorities organised a design competition through the Hokkaido Centennial Project. From more than 7,500 submitted proposals, the Hokkaido Flag and Hokkaido Emblem Establishment Committee selected a design credited to Kenichi Kuritani and instructors of the Hokkaido Design Institute, formally adopted by Hokkaido Notification No. 775. The new emblem revived the old Kaitakushi star — this time reworked with seven points, echoing Kuroda’s rejected 1872 proposal — to represent Hokkaido’s pioneering spirit and its continued growth a century on.

What does the flag of Hokkaido depict?

A dark blue field bearing a red seven-pointed star rimmed in white light. Blue represents the northern seas and sky, red the vigour of Hokkaido’s people, and the white halo the region’s snow and brilliance.

Why does Hokkaido’s star have seven points instead of five?

The seven-pointed star modernises the five-pointed “Hokushin” star flown by the Kaitakushi pioneer commission from 1872. A seven-point version had actually been proposed as early as 1872 by Vice-Minister Kuroda Kiyotaka but was rejected then; it was revived for the emblem adopted in 1967.

When was the flag and emblem of Hokkaido adopted?

Both were formally established on 1 May 1967 (Hokkaido Notification No. 775), chosen from over 7,500 entries as part of a design competition tied to the 1968 centennial of Hokkaido’s development.

What is Hokkaido’s official tree, flower, and bird?

The Ezo spruce (ezomatsu), the rugosa rose (hamanasu), and the red-crowned crane (tanchō).

• Wikipedia. Flag of Hokkaido.
• Wikipedia. Hokkaidō Development Commission.
• Wikipedia. Hokkaido (administrative history and prefectural symbols).
• Nippon.com. Searching for Stars in Sapporo.
• Wikimedia Commons. File: Emblem of Hokkaido Prefecture.svg (Hokkaido Prefectural Notification No. 775, 1 May 1967).

Last reviewed by the Emblema Mundi editorial team on 2026-07-04.