ネイティブが教える英会話のジェムスクール☆Teachers☆

I have always been curious about the history of the Japanese flag. It is a very simple design – a red circle in the middle of an all-white background. It is known as the Hinomaru in Japan, which means the circle of the sun.

The red circle is meant to represent the sun, which fits in nicely with Japan’s nickname of The Land of the Rising Sun. Also in the Japanese Shinto Religion, the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu, is the most important deity in the religion. So this presents a strong cultural and spiritual connection.

There have been many variations on the national flag throughout the centuries, but it was not until the late 19th century, when Japan was opening up its borders to Europeans and the west, that it became the official flag of Japan in 1870. This time as the official national flag only lasted about 15 years until 1885 due to the government’s lack of ratification or formal agreement. The flag continued to be used as the unofficial or de facto flag of the country until the latter part of the 20th century. Japan made it the country’s official flag by law in 1999.

Throughout the years there have been a few variations on the flag. During the early part of the 20th century and through WWII the Japanese military used a Rising Sun flag which had the red sun in the middle with 16 red rays that extended to the borders of the flag.

Today the Japanese flag is recognized worldwide, and its powerful yet simple meaning projects an image that resonates both inside and outside the Japanese nation!
  

My current favorite album by Eno is Another Green World, released in 1975..Although it can be
classified as a "rock" album, it shows hints of
Eno moving toward the "ambient" music he would
later be well-known for. One notable track is The
Big Ship, used recently in the movie "Me and
Earl and the Dying Girl" The album received high
critical praise on its release.