大分県 (Oita)
Flag
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Emblem
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Flag
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Emblem
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Prefecture
Oita (大分県, Ōita-ken) flies a white flag bearing a striking red emblem: three interlocking renderings of the kanji character “大” (dai, “great”) arranged in a broken circular ring that also suggests a rising sun. The flag was adopted in 1956, more than four decades after the prefecture’s original 1911 emblem — a much simpler single “大” in a plain circle, which remains a separate, still-valid mark in its own right.
| Prefecture | Oita (大分県, Ōita-ken) |
|---|---|
| Type | Ken (県) — ordinary prefecture |
| Region | Kyūshū |
| Capital | Oita City (大分市) — a separate municipal government with its own emblem |
| Established | 1871 (haihan-chiken), reorganised into its present borders by 1876, uniting most of former Bungo Province with part of Buzen Province |
| Prefectural flag | Three interlocking red “大” characters on white, forming a broken ring; adopted 24 July 1956 (Notice No. 462) |
| Prefectural emblem | A single red “大” character in a plain circle; adopted 5 October 1911 (Notice No. 351) — a distinct, older mark |
| Official tree & flower | Bungo plum (Bungo-ume), a large double-petalled cultivar; both officially designated 16 August 1966 (an earlier 1954 NHK broadcast had informally named it the region’s “local flower,” without official status) |
| Official bird | Japanese white-eye (mejiro) |
Flag of Oita Prefecture — White field, three interlocking red “大” characters, adopted 1956
The flag of Oita Prefecture is a white field bearing a red device formed from three interlocking renderings of the kanji character “大” (dai, meaning “great” — the first character of “Oita”), their arms joined so as to form a broken circular ring. According to the prefecture’s own explanation, the three characters stand for “trust, diligence, and fraternity,” while their circular arrangement expresses “harmony, peace, and cooperation.” The overall silhouette is also said to evoke a rising sun, symbolising the prefecture’s growing momentum. Red represents the sincerity of the prefecture’s people; white stands for peace and equality.
5 October 1911 (Meiji 44) — the original emblem. Oita Prefecture’s first official mark, established by Prefectural Notice No. 351 (“Oita Prefecture Emblem Template”), is a much plainer design: a single “大” character stylised inside a plain circle, said to represent the good relations among prefectural citizens and the development of the prefecture. This emblem is still valid today and is used on official prefectural seals and letterheads, but it is visually distinct from the flag shown on this page.
24 July 1956 (Shōwa 31) — the flag. Forty-five years later, the prefecture adopted a separate flag under Notice No. 462, this time based on the three-character “大” design described above. Oita is consequently one of a small number of Japanese prefectures whose emblem and flag do not share the same design — a point worth flagging for anyone comparing sources, since older or careless references sometimes conflate the two marks or misdate one using the other’s year.
Oita Prefecture occupies the northeastern part of the island of Kyūshū and is internationally known for its onsen (hot spring) culture, particularly around Beppu and Yufuin. Following the 1871 abolition of the han (domain) system (haihan-chiken), the prefecture was progressively consolidated from territory belonging to the former Bungo Province and part of Buzen Province, reaching essentially its present boundaries by the mid-1870s.
A white field bearing a red emblem of three interlocking “大” characters forming a broken ring, a design also said to evoke a rising sun. It was adopted in 1956.
No. Oita has two distinct official marks: a simple single “大” in a plain circle, adopted as the prefectural emblem in October 1911, and the three-character flag design described here, adopted separately in July 1956. Oita is one of only a handful of prefectures where the emblem and flag differ.
No — they are two separate levels of government that happen to share a name. Oita Prefecture is one of Japan’s 47 prefectures, on Kyūshū; Oita City is its capital and largest city, with its own separate municipal emblem. This page covers only the prefecture-level flag and emblem.
The flag was formally adopted on 24 July 1956 (Shōwa 31), under Prefectural Notice No. 462.
Last reviewed by the Emblema Mundi editorial team on 2026-07-04.