山梨県 (Yamanashi)
Flag
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Flag
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Prefecture
Yamanashi (山梨県, Yamanashi-ken) flies a purple flag on which three small yellow figures of a person (人) are arranged to spell out the character for “mountain” (山) — the first character of the prefecture’s own name — framed by a white silhouette of Mount Fuji. The same motif appears in the official prefectural crest, there enclosed instead by a notched diamond recalling the Takeda-bishi, crest of the Takeda clan who once ruled this land as Kai Province. Both emblems were adopted in 1966.
| Prefecture | Yamanashi (山梨県, Yamanashi-ken) |
|---|---|
| Type | Ken (県) — ordinary prefecture |
| Region | Chūbu (Kōshin’etsu subregion) |
| Capital | Kōfu |
| Established | Kōfu Prefecture (1869) renamed Yamanashi Prefecture on 20 November 1871, during the nationwide haihan-chiken reform; territory corresponds to the former Kai Province |
| Crest (kenshō) | Three yellow figures forming “山,” inside a notched diamond evoking the Takeda-bishi and Mount Fuji’s peak; adopted 1 October 1966 (Notice No. 219) |
| Flag | Purple field, same “山” motif inside a white Mount Fuji silhouette; adopted 1 December 1966 |
| Official tree | Japanese maple (kaede), designated 1966 |
| Official flower | Fuji cherry (Fujizakura), designated 1954 |
| Official bird | Japanese bush warbler (uguisu), designated 1964 |
Flag of Yamanashi — Purple field, white Fuji silhouette, yellow “山” motif, adopted 1966
The flag of Yamanashi is a purple field bearing a white trapezoid that stands in for the silhouette of Mount Fuji, whose northern flank lies within the prefecture. Inside this outline, three small yellow figures of a stylised person (人) are arranged side by side to form the kanji 山 (“yama,” mountain) — the first character of “Yamanashi” itself. According to the prefectural government, the purple ground alludes to Yamanashi’s well-known grape harvests, the white Fuji shape stands for purity and integrity, and the design’s gently curved lines suggest the “limitless advancement” of its people. The separate prefectural crest (kenshō) uses the same three-figure “山” motif at its centre, but encloses it in a notched, diamond-shaped border rather than the flag’s Fuji trapezoid.
The crest’s jagged-edged diamond is explicitly said by the prefecture to recall two things at once: the silhouette of Mount Fuji’s peak, and the Takeda-bishi (武田菱), the four-diamond family crest of the Takeda clan. The Takeda ruled Kai Province — the historical territory that became Yamanashi Prefecture — from their stronghold at Kōfu, reaching their height under the celebrated 16th-century warlord Takeda Shingen before the clan’s defeat by the Oda–Tokugawa coalition in 1582. Referencing the Takeda-bishi ties the modern emblem directly to this well-documented Sengoku-period heritage, still closely associated with the region today.
Ancient – Kai Province. Established under the Taika Reforms of the 7th century, Kai Province occupied roughly the same mountainous territory as today’s Yamanashi, becoming the power base of the Takeda clan during the Sengoku period.
1869 – Kōfu Prefecture. Following the Meiji Restoration, the former province was reorganised as Kōfu Prefecture.
20 November 1871 – Yamanashi Prefecture. As part of the nationwide haihan-chiken abolition of feudal domains, the prefecture was renamed Yamanashi; the prefectural government marks 20 November each year as Prefectural Citizens’ Day in commemoration (sources vary slightly on whether this anniversary is dated to 1871 or the following year, so this detail should be treated with some caution).
1966 – Crest and flag. A design created in 1936 by Yukio Hirano as a staff badge was formally adopted as the prefecture’s official crest on 1 October 1966, following consultation with various sectors of the prefecture rather than an open public competition, with the matching flag following on 1 December 1966.
A purple field with a white Mount Fuji silhouette enclosing three yellow figures of a person (人) arranged to spell the character for “mountain” (山), the first character of Yamanashi’s name.
The prefectural crest encloses the same “山” motif in a notched diamond recalling both Mount Fuji’s peak and the Takeda-bishi, the historic crest of the Takeda clan, who ruled this region as Kai Province from Kōfu until the late 16th century.
The design was created in 1936 by Yukio Hirano as a staff badge. It was formally adopted as the crest on 1 October 1966 (Prefectural Notice No. 219) after consultation with various sectors of the prefecture, and the flag using the same central motif followed on 1 December 1966.
The Japanese maple (kaede, designated 1966) for its crimson autumn colour, the Fuji cherry (Fujizakura, 1954), a small downward-facing blossom native to Mount Fuji’s slopes, and the Japanese bush warbler (uguisu, 1964).
Last reviewed by the Emblema Mundi editorial team on 2026-07-04.