Flag of Manchukuo

The flag of the Empire of Manchuria had a yellow field with four horizontal stripes of different colours in the upper-left corner. The colours of the flag were based on the colours on the Five Races Under One Union flags used by the Beiyang government, the Empire of China, and by the Fengtian clique. The flag was first established in Announcement of National Flag on 1 March 1932.^[1]

Description

According to the Document of the Explanation of National Flag issued by the State Council of Manchukuo on 24 February 1933, the colours on the flag represent the four directions and centre.^[2] The Study of Manchukuo National Flag published by state council of Manchukuo later also gave a representative based on Wu Xing.^[3]

Yellow represents the centre and the Manchus, symbolizes the rule of emperor of four directions and virtue of Ren in Confucianism, and earth in the Five Elements.
Red represents the south and the Han, symbolises passion and courage, and fire in the Five Elements.
Blue represents the east and the Mongols, symbolises youthfulness and holiness, and wood in the Five Elements.
White represents the west and the Japanese, symbolises purity and justice, and gold in the Five Elements.
Black represents the north and the Koreans, symbolises will and determination, and water in the Five Elements.^[4]^[5]

Manchukuo naval rank flags were similar in design to those of the Soviet Navy but retained the national colours.