Japan's red circle on white, called the Hinomaru, had long served as the country's flag. It flew over schools, ships, and international gatherings, yet it was never officially recognized by law. That ...

The law punishes publicly damaging or defacing the national flag, known as "hinomaru". Opponents say the ambiguous law only intimidates people from using the flag in art, protests or other forms of ...

The law forbids publicly damaging, removing, or defacing a Japanese flag in a manner likely to cause others “extreme discomfort or disgust.” Public opinion offers no clear answer to where that line ...

The new law is part of a campaign by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, a hard-line conservative, to build a more patriotic and assertive Japan. Critics say it undermines free speech. By Javier C.

(Tokyo) – The Japanese Diet on July 17, 2026, adopted a flag desecration law that criminalizes damaging Japan’s national flag, a violation of the right to freedom of expression, Human Rights Watch ...