Colours in Ireland and Japan

The torii gates of Shinto shrines are often painted vermilion, a bright orange-red. The colour is held to keep evil away, and the long tunnels of gates at Fushimi Inari are the best known.

The orange stripe of the flag stands for Protestants, the followers of William of Orange. In Northern Ireland the Orange Order still marches each 12 July in orange sashes.

Green stands for Ireland itself, the Emerald Isle, and for Saint Patrick's shamrock. On 17 March people wear green and a sprig of shamrock.

The green stripe of the flag stands for the older Gaelic and Catholic tradition. Green was the colour of the United Irishmen, whose 1798 rising is recalled in the song The Wearing of the Green.

Before green took over, blue was the colour tied to Ireland and its patron saint. A shade called Saint Patrick's blue is still used on the President's flag behind the gold harp.

Indigo dyeing, called aizome, clothed ordinary people in deep blue through the Edo period. The men's national football team plays in blue and is nicknamed Samurai Blue.

Purple dye from the murasaki plant was costly and hard to make. In the court rank system set up under Prince Shotoku, the highest officials wore purple caps.

Pale pink is the colour of cherry blossom. In spring people picnic under the trees for hanami, flower viewing, and the short bloom is a common image for how brief life is.

The white in the middle of the flag stands for a lasting peace between the green and orange traditions.

A bride at a Shinto wedding may wear the shiromuku, a kimono that is white from head to foot. White is also the colour of the paper streamers that mark sacred places.

Red and white together, called kohaku, mark happy occasions. Curtains at ceremonies are striped red and white, and the New Year's Eve song contest sets a Red team against a White team.

Mourners wear plain black, called mofuku, to funerals, and men add a black tie. Condolence money goes in an envelope tied with black and white cord.

The state's arms are a gold harp with silver strings on a blue field. The harp appears on coins, passports and government papers.