長崎県 (Nagasaki)
Flag
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Flag
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Prefecture
Nagasaki Prefecture (長崎県, Nagasaki-ken) flies a white flag bearing a light-blue emblem: a stylised letter “N”, shaped like a dove in flight, wrapped around an oblong form representing the globe. Adopted in 1991 after a public design competition, it replaced an older, informally used “crane mark” that had no formal legal standing. This page covers the prefecture’s emblem — a distinct entity from the prefectural capital, Nagasaki City, which has its own separate municipal emblem.
| Prefecture | Nagasaki (長崎県, Nagasaki-ken) |
|---|---|
| Type | Ken (県) — ordinary prefecture |
| Region | Kyūshū |
| Capital | Nagasaki City (a separate administrative entity with its own emblem) |
| Established | Early 1870s, through Meiji-era prefectural reorganisation (haihan-chiken), consolidating the western part of former Hizen Province with Iki and Tsushima provinces |
| Emblem (kenshō) | Light-blue stylised “N”/dove around a globe motif, white field; adopted 1 April 1991 (Notice No. 395) |
| Flag | Adopted 30 August 1991 (Notice No. 823-2) |
| Official tree | Hinoki, Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa), designated 1966 |
| Official flower | Unzen azalea (Rhododendron serpyllifolium var., wild azalea of Mount Unzen), designated 1982 |
| Official bird | Mandarin duck (oshidori), designated 1966 |
Flag of Nagasaki Prefecture — White field, light-blue emblem, adopted 1991
The emblem of Nagasaki Prefecture (紋章, monshō, or 県章, kenshō) is rendered in light blue on white. Its form combines two ideas at once: a stylised initial “N” for Nagasaki, curved into the silhouette of a dove in flight, set around an oblong shape read as a globe. According to the prefectural government’s own description, the dove stands for peace, the globe for the prefecture’s international character — long shaped by its history as a maritime gateway — and the blue for the sky and sea that surround Nagasaki’s coasts and islands. The flag reproduces this emblem on a white field, with the prefecture’s name in black kanji beneath it in the standard version.
1925 — an unofficial precursor. Some regional accounts describe an earlier mark used from the mid-1920s, popularly nicknamed the “crane mark” (鶴のマーク), which appeared on prefectural banners and at events such as the National Sports Festival. It was never adopted by formal prefectural notice, so its status is best described as customary rather than official; readers should treat design details of this earlier mark with some caution given the informal, secondary nature of the sources describing it.
1990 — a corporate-identity initiative. As part of a prefectural “CI” (corporate identity) campaign intended to give Nagasaki a clearer, more modern visual identity, the prefectural government opened a design competition combining invited entries and an open public call, drawing 79 submissions in total.
1991 — selection and adoption. A selection committee narrowed the field to 13 finalists, which were put to a public vote. The winning design, submitted by the Nagasaki City design studio Studio First, received 2,335 of 10,329 valid votes (about 22.6%). The emblem was formally adopted on 1 April 1991 (Notice No. 395), and a dedicated prefectural flag bearing the mark followed on 30 August 1991 (Notice No. 823-2).
Because the prefecture and its capital share the same name, it is easy to conflate their symbols. This page, and the flag image above, describe the prefectural emblem used by the Nagasaki prefectural government (pref.nagasaki.lg.jp) across its administrative territory, which spans the Kyūshū mainland peninsulas as well as island groups such as Tsushima, Iki, and the Gotō Islands. Nagasaki City, the seat of the prefectural government, maintains its own distinct municipal emblem and flag, which are not the subject of this page.
A light-blue mark on white: a stylised letter “N” shaped like a dove of peace, wrapped around an oblong form representing the globe. Blue represents the sky and sea surrounding the prefecture’s coasts and islands.
The prefecture’s. Nagasaki Prefecture and its capital, Nagasaki City, are two separate administrative entities, each with its own official emblem. This page and its flag image (JP-42-drapeau.png) cover the prefecture only.
The emblem was formally adopted on 1 April 1991 (Notice No. 395), with the matching flag following on 30 August 1991 (Notice No. 823-2). It replaced an older, informally used “crane mark” dating to around 1925 that never held official legal status.
The hinoki (Japanese cypress, designated 1966) is the official tree, the Unzen azalea (a wild azalea native to Mount Unzen, designated 1982) is the official flower, and the mandarin duck (oshidori, designated 1966) is the official bird. The camellia is separately designated as the prefecture’s official flowering tree.
Last reviewed by the Emblema Mundi editorial team on 2026-07-04.