, literally meaning 'banner

Banner

A banner is a flag or other piece of cloth bearing a symbol, logo, slogan or other message. Banner-making is an ancient craft.The word derives from late Latin bandum, a cloth out of which a flag is made...

', had a more specific meaning on the battlefields of feudal Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. It referred to a particular type of banner denoting units within an army; nobori became much more common in the Sengoku period

Sengoku period

The or Warring States period in Japanese history was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century. The name "Sengoku" was adopted by Japanese historians in reference...

, coming into use alongside the earlier hata-jirushi

Hata-jirushi

' were the most common of war banners used on the medieval Japanese battlefield. The term could be translated to literally mean symbol flag, marker banner or the like...

. They were 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 flag would always remain visible and identifiable.

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 used during festivals and sports events (in sports they take the place of the banners and signs common among Western audiences), announcement, appealing something and even identify political party during election campaign.

See also

• Koi Nobori
  Koinobori
  , meaning "carp streamer" in Japanese, are carp-shaped wind socks traditionally flown in Japan to celebrate , a traditional calendrical event which is now designated a national holiday; Children's Day. These wind socks are made by drawing carp patterns on paper, cloth or other nonwoven fabric. They...
  
   - fish-shaped streamers flown on Kodomo no Hi
  Kodomo no hi
  is a Japanese national holiday which takes place annually on May 5, the fifth day of the fifth month, and is part of the Golden Week. It is a day set aside to respect children's personalities and to celebrate their happiness...
  
  (Children's Day)
• Sashimono
  Sashimono
  Sashimono were small banners historically worn by soldiers in feudal Japan, for identification during battles.-Description:The sashimono poles were attached to the backs of the chest armor by special fittings. Sashimono were worn by common soldiers, known as ashigaru, to elite samurai, and in...
  
   - small banners worn on the back of ashigaru
  Ashigaru
  The Japanese ashigaru were foot-soldiers of medieval Japan. The first known reference to ashigaru was in the 1300s, but it was during the Ashikaga Shogunate-Muromachi period that the use of ashigaru became prevalent by various warring factions.-Origins:Attempts were made in Japan by the Emperor...
  
  foot soldiers and samurai
  Samurai
  is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
  
  
• Uma-jirushi
  Uma-jirushi
  ' were massive flags used in feudal Japan to identify a daimyo or equally important military commander on the field of battle. They came into prominence during the Sengoku period...
  
   - large heraldic banners of daimyo
  Daimyo
  is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
  
  or commander
  Commander
  Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
  
  s