Houseflags of Japanese shipping companies

image by Jarig Bakker, 8 September 2005
Source: Brown’s Flags and Funnels of Shipping Companies of the World, 1995 [lgr95]

Tokyo - white flag, a blue horizontal stripe in the center, interrupted by a red disk within a white disk within a red disk within a white space.
Jarig Bakker, 8 September 2005

Nittetsu Kisen K.K.

image by Phil Nelson
Source: Flags, Funnels and Hull Colours, 1963 [ste63]

Nittetsu Kisen K.K. formed 1950 merging 1962 to form Shinwa Kaiun K.K.
Neale Rosanoski, 5 March 2003

Nitto Line

The house flag of the Nitto Line, Japan: red with broad white horizontal stripes along the upper and lower edges, the red field interrupted by a red ring.

This could well be the firm now called NTL (Nitto Total Logistics Ltd) established at Kobe which was founded in 1926, starting out as a shipping agent; later involved in towing and barge operations and finally container transport. Now offering services as a complete logistics provider.

During its history, this firm has been working for, and been financed by, large shipping companies such as Kawasaki and Mitsui.
Jan Mertens, 6 August 2005

Osaka Zosensho K.K.

image by Jarig Bakker, 19 December 2005
Source: Brown's Flags and Funnels of Shipping Companies of the World [lgr95]

Osaka - white flag, the firm's logo. (the funnel has an elephant sitting on a yellow crescent...) Loughran (1979) has this:

This company, in business primarily as shipbuilders, went into shipowning in the early 1970s. The new moon and baby elephant were chosen to represent the fact that the firm was a new and growing one. There was also something of a pun involved. In Japanese 'Zo-zen' from the company title, and the word for elephant, are written similarly. The device on the houseflag is of like interest. The Japanese character 大, which stands for 'big', is also the first syllable of Osaka. On the houseflag it is stylised to represent an engineering tool, and is placed within its anglicised version, the letter 'O'. Around the shipyard, the symbol is modified slightly to represent a busy worker. Altogether, a very clever use of symbolism.

Jarig Bakker, 19 December 2005

Ryukyu Kaiun Kaisha

image by Jarig Bakker, 7 December 2005
Source: Brown's Flags and Funnels of Shipping Companies of the World [lgr95]

Houseflags of Japanese shipping companies

Nissui Senpaku K.K.

Nittetsu Kisen K.K.

Nitto Line

Osaka Zosensho K.K.

Ryukyu Kaiun Kaisha