Japan vs. Bangladesh: Flag Comparison
Japan and Bangladesh both feature a single red circular sun disc on an unadorned rectangular field, but Japan places a crimson disc at the exact center of a 2:3 white field while Bangladesh offsets a bright red disc slightly toward the hoist on a 3:5 bottle-green field.
How to tell Japan and Bangladesh apart at a glance
- Field color: Japan uses a pure white field; Bangladesh uses a rich bottle-green field (#006A4E) representing the Bengal landscape.
- Disc position: Japan's 1999 statute places the disc at the exact geometric center (50% of length), whereas Bangladesh's 1972 Flag Rules place the disc center at 9/20 (45%) of the length from the hoist so it looks centered while fluttering.
- Aspect ratio and disc size: Japan uses a 2:3 ratio with a disc diameter equal to 3/5 of the height; Bangladesh uses a 3:5 ratio with a disc radius equal to 1/5 of the length (2/3 of the height).
Side-by-side structural comparison
| Attribute | Japan | Bangladesh |
|---|---|---|
| Aspect ratio | 2:3 (2:3) | 3:5 (3:5) |
| Layout & orientation | centered centered emblem | centered centered emblem |
| Band / color sequence | white · red | green · red |
| Official color specs | White (N 9.4 (cloth standard)); Crimson (Beni-iro) (5.7R 3.7/15.5) | Bottle Green (Procion Brilliant Green H-2RS 50 parts per 1000); Bright Red (Procion Brilliant Orange H-2RS 60 parts per 1000) |
| Official adoption | 1870-02-27 | 1972-01-17 |
| Region | Eastern Asia | Southern Asia |
| Visual similarity score | 77/100 (Layout 35/35 · Colors 8.3/25 · Symbols 20/20 · Ratio 7.3/10 · Geometry 6/10) | |
Why these two flags look alike
Japan and Bangladesh are the two best-known sovereign examples of the minimalist 'sun disc on a solid field' layout (alongside Palau, whose golden disc on ocean blue represents the full moon rather than the sun). Both flags symbolize a rising sun of sovereignty, yet they differ in every geometric measurement as well as their background field color.
Under Japan's 1870 merchant-flag proclamation (Proclamation No. 57), the Hinomaru disc was originally offset 1/100 toward the hoist on a 7:10 field, before the 1999 Act on the National Flag and Anthem moved it to the exact geometric center of a 2:3 white field. Bangladesh's 1972 Flag Rules deliberately retained a stronger 9/20 hoist offset on a wider 3:5 bottle-green field so that the red disc appears optically centered when the fly end ripples in the breeze.
Explore each flag in detail
Read the complete statutory specification, color table, and historical timeline on the Flag of Japan page or the Flag of Bangladesh page, or return to all flag comparisons.