is a Japanese type of
banner
A banner can be a flag or another piece of cloth bearing a symbol, logo, slogan or another message. A flag whose design is the same as the shield in a coat of arms (but usually in a square or rectangular shape) is called a banner of arms. Also, ...
. They are long, narrow flags, attached to a pole with a cross-rod to hold the fabric straight out and prevent it from furling around the rod; this way, the field is always visible and identifiable.
History of use
The ''nobori'' were significant on the battlefields of feudal Japan. ''Nobori'' of the time were used to denote units within an army; they became much more common in the
Sengoku period
The was the period in History of Japan, Japanese history in which civil wars and social upheavals took place almost continuously in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Kyōtoku incident (1454), Ōnin War (1467), or (1493) are generally chosen as th ...
and were used alongside the earlier ''
hata-jirushi''. Though usually used to represent different divisions within an army, ''nobori'' were sometimes made identical, so as to produce an impressive and intimidating display of warrior flags.
Today, ''nobori'' are a common sight in Japan. Often, they are used for making announcements and advertising sales, products, or the name of a business; and can frequently be found outside retail stores, restaurants, and other businesses. Political parties also use ''nobori'' to identify themselves during election campaigns. In festivals and sports events, ''nobori'' are used in a similar fashion to the way banners and signs are used in Western sporting events.
Shinto shrines
A Stuart D. B. Picken, 1994. p. xxiii is a structure whose main purpose is to house ("enshrine") one or more kami, , the deities of the Shinto religion.
The Also called the . is where a shrine's patron is or are enshrined.Iwanami Japanese dic ...
or
Buddhist temples may line walkways, fences or walls with ''nobori,'' frequently bearing the names of donors or deceased parishioners. In recent years, ''nobori'' influenced flags are gaining popularity around the world.
Gallery
File:Hyakken-taki-hudoson,百間滝不動尊の幟－P8161927.jpg, Nobori at a Shinto shrine
A Stuart D. B. Picken, 1994. p. xxiii is a structure whose main purpose is to house ("enshrine") one or more kami, , the deities of the Shinto religion.
The Also called the . is where a shrine's patron is or are enshrined.Iwanami Japanese dic ...
File:Yellow hat Sasayama store.jpg, A curved Nobori used to advertise a Cosmo petrol station
A filling station (also known as a gas station [] or petrol station []) is a facility that sells fuel and engine lubricants for motor vehicles. The most common fuels sold are gasoline (or petrol) and diesel fuel.
Fuel dispensers are used to ...
File:Banner AFHC 2008 conference.jpg, Advertisement of an AFHC conference
File:Nobori, appealing goods.jpg, A nobori advertising chilled noodles sold at a convenience store
See also
*
Koi Nobori – fish-shaped streamers flown on ''
Kodomo no Hi'' (Children's Day)
*
Sashimono – small banners worn on the back of ''
ashigaru'' foot soldiers and
samurai
The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...
*
Uma-jirushi
were massive flags used in feudal Japan to identify a ''daimyō'' or equally important military commander on the field of battle. They came into prominence during the Sengoku period. While many were simply large flags, not very different from ' ...
– large heraldic banners of ''
daimyō
were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji era, Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and no ...
s'' or
commander
Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...
s
*
Umbul-umbul – slightly similar
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
n vertical banner, common in
Java
Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...
and
Bali
Bali (English:; Balinese language, Balinese: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller o ...
.
References
External links
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Japanese heraldry
Military communication in feudal Japan
Samurai weapons and equipment
{{Japan-culture-stub