Daimyo Flags, 19th Century

Ottfried Neubecker, in Le grand livre de l'heraldique (French edition of Heraldry: sources, symbols and meaning), mentions as a source for Daimyo flags: H.G. Stroehl Japanisches Wappenbuch : Nihon Moncho', Wien (1906) [stl06]>and shows on p. 210-211 some standards used by the Damyos of the coast in the 19th century.
Ivan Sache, 03 January 2000

Date, daimyo of Uwajima

Makino, daimyo of Nagaoka

Ogasawara, daimyo of Kokura

Ii, daimyo of Hikone

Tokugawa Dynasty Flag

image by António Martins-Tuválkin, as adapted by Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 16 September 2008

Before Aug 1853 white black white triband was used ensign representing Tokugawa Shogunete after then Hinomaru was used.

The original family crest of the Tokugawa is Nakaguro = one black holizontal band in white disc not blue. Japanese family crests are always black and white.

Erroneous Tokugawa Dynasty Flag

image by António Martins-Tuválkin, 2 September 2008
Source: 1858 US Flag Chart

Shown in a US Flag Chart under "Japan" at position (6;8) : Rectangular ~2:3 horizontal white and blue triband.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 2 September 2008

This flag is from several old plates. It appears to be an erroneous flag flag or the flag of Tokugawa, the Japanese shogun dynasty, c. 1850.
Jaime Ollé, 4 January 2000

I have investigated this flag from lots of flag-related books/records available in Japan but cannot find out description of such flag.

The flag is erroneous and has been reported mistakenly to Europe/America in 1850's . But the fact was found that in 1854 the Tokugawa shogunate adopted Hinomaru as civil ensign and white, "black", white horizontal flag as Shogunate vessel's ensign together with streamer of white/blue/white/blue/white/blue stripes hoisted. The white and black colours were used by the Tokugawa family.

I suppose Europeans (Dutch, I believe) reported this Shogunate vessel's ensign with wrong colours.

More interestingly until 1854 there was a reversed proposal in Shogunate that Hinomaru be Tokugawa Shogunate vessel's ensign and white. black, white stripes be civil ensign.

Incidentally the Meiji government restored/modified this idea in Japanese civil ensign (white, black, white horizontal stripes with hinomaru in the center) for a short period between 1870-1875.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 29 October 2000

Daimyo Flags, 19th Century