Each modern prefecture has a unique flag, most often a bicolour geometric highly stylised design (mon), often incorporating the letters of Japanese writing system. A distinct feature of these flags is that they use a palette of colours not usually found in flags, including orange, purple, aquamarine and brown.
Some prefectures also have alternative official flags called "symbol flags" (シンボル旗). They may be used on less formal occasions. Famous symbol flags include the one used in Tokyo.
| Coat of arms |
Flag | Region | Geocode | Official adoption |
Description | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  | Abruzzo Abruzzo | IT-65 | 22 July 1986 | Stylised hiragana of あいち (Aichi). The emblem also expresses sunrise and wave to indicate Aichi's location facing the Pacific Ocean. | |
 |  | Aosta Valley Valle d'Aosta | IT-23 | 16 March 2006 | Stylised katakana of ア (a), the first syllable of "Akita". | |
 |  | Apulia Puglia | IT-75 | 10 August 2001 | Stylised katakana of ア (a), the first syllable of "Akita". | |
 |  | Basilicata Basilicata | IT-77 | 6 April 1999 | Stylised katakana of ア (a), the first syllable of "Akita". | |
 |  | Calabria Calabria | IT-78 | Stylised katakana of ア (a), the first syllable of "Akita". | ||
 |  | Campania Campania | IT-72 | Stylised katakana of ア (a), the first syllable of "Akita". | ||
| align=center | Emilia-Romagna Emilia-Romagna | IT-45 | Stylised katakana of ア (a), the first syllable of "Akita". | |||
 | Friuli-Venezia Giulia Friuli-Venezia Giulia | IT-36 | Stylised katakana of ア (a), the first syllable of "Akita". | |||
 | Lazio Lazio | IT–62 | Stylised katakana of ア (a), the first syllable of "Akita". | |||
 | Liguria Liguria | IT–42 | Stylised katakana of ア (a), the first syllable of "Akita". | |||
 | Lombardy Lombardia | IT–25 | Stylised katakana of ア (a), the first syllable of "Akita". | |||
 | Marche Marche | IT–57 | Stylised katakana of ア (a), the first syllable of "Akita". | |||
 | Molise Molise | IT–67 | Stylised katakana of ア (a), the first syllable of "Akita". | |||
 | Piedmont Piemonte | IT–21 | Stylised katakana of ア (a), the first syllable of "Akita". | |||
 | Sardinia Sardegna | IT–88 | Stylised katakana of ア (a), the first syllable of "Akita". | |||
 | Sicily Sicilia | IT–82 | Stylised katakana of ア (a), the first syllable of "Akita". | |||
 | Trentino-South Tyrol Trentino-Alto Adige | IT–32 | Stylised katakana of ア (a), the first syllable of "Akita". | |||
 | Tuscany Toscana | IT–52 | Stylised katakana of ア (a), the first syllable of "Akita". | |||
 | Umbria Umbria | IT–55 | Stylised katakana of ア (a), the first syllable of "Akita". | |||
 | Veneto Veneto | IT–34 | Stylised katakana of ア (a), the first syllable of "Akita". | |||
Swiss league formats
edit- From 1897–98 to 1900–01 the Swiss championship was contested by clubs in three regional groups, with winners qualifying for the final play-offs. These usually included home and away ties or a single final match.
- From 1901–02 to 1906–07 the winners of three regional groups (East,Central, and West) qualified for a single round-robin tournament which determined the overall winners.
- From 1907–08 to 1908–09 the format was reduced to two groups of clubs (East and West), with teams playing every other club twice. Winners of each group would then play the single match championship final.
- From 1909–10 to 1913–14 the system reverted back to three groups plus a three-way play-off mini league.
- In 1914–15 the Central group was split into two (Central A and Central B), and winners of the resulting four groups played a cup-style play-off, with two semi-finals and a single match final.
- From 1915–16 to 1928–29 the system reverted back to three groups plus a three-way play-off mini league.
- In 1929–30 the play-off mini league was expanded to include three group winners and three group runners-up.
- In 1931–32 the number of groups was reduced to two groups with 8 clubs each, with top two clubs advancing to a four-way play-off mini league.
- In 1933–34 the first unified national league format was adopted, with 16 clubs playing in a double round-robin format.
- In 1934–35 the number of clubs was reduced to 14.
- In 1936–37 the number of clubs was further reduced to 13.
- In 1937–38 the number of clubs was further reduced to 12.
- In 1941–42 the number of clubs was increased to 14. The two top teams ended the season equal on points so a double-tied playoff was played to determine the champions.
- In 1967–68 the three top teams ended the season equal on points so a three-way single round-robin play-off was played.
- In 1970–71 top two teams ended the season equal on points so a single match play-off was played.
- In 1976–77 the football system was reformed. Number of top level clubs was reduced to 12, who played each other twice in the first part of the season (22 rounds). Top six clubs qualified for a championship mini league, playing each other twice for an additional ten rounds, and carrying over half of the points won in the first part of the season. In 1976–77 top two clubs finished on equal points so they played an additional play-off match to determine winners.
- In 1980–81 the play-off system was replaced by a single 14 club league played in a double round robin format
- In 1981–82 the number of clubs was increased to 16.
- In 1983–84 top two teams ended the season equal on points so a single match playoff was played.
- From 1987–88 to 2002–03 the league was contested by 12 clubs. The first part of the season was played in a double round-robin format (22 rounds). Top eight clubs would then qualify for the Championship Group, a mini league played in a double round robin format, for an additional 14 rounds, with clubs taking over half of points won in the first part of the season. The bottom four clubs would join second-tier clubs to play in the promotion/relegation play-offs.
- From the 2003–04 to present the league is contested by 10 clubs playing in a quadruple round-robin format in 36 rounds
| Years | No. of teams | Format | Rounds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular season | Play-offs | |||
| 1901–1906 | Three regional groups | Group winners playing a single round-robin league | ||
| 1907–1908 | Two regional groups | Group winners playing a single match | ||
| 1909–1913 | Three regional groups | Group winners playing a single round-robin league | ||
| 1914 | 16 | Four regional groups | Group winners playing in single-tie cup system | 6+2 |
| 1915–1928 | Three regional groups | Group winners playing a single round-robin league | ||
| 1929 | 27 | Three regional groups | Top two clubs from each group playing a four-round league | 16+4 |
| 1930 | 33 | Three regional groups | Top two clubs from each group playing a four-round league | 18+4 |
| 1931 | 18 | Two regional groups | Top two clubs from each group playing a single round-robin league | 16+3 |
| 1932 | 16 | Two regional groups | Top two clubs from each group playing a single round-robin league | 14+3 |
| 1933 | 16 | Double round-robin | 30 | |
| 1934–1935 | 14 | Double round-robin | 28 | |
| 1936 | 13 | Double round-robin | 24 | |
| 1937–1940 | 12 | Double round-robin | 22 | |
| 1941–1975 | 14 | Double round-robin | 26 | |
| 1976–1979 | 12 | Double round-robin | Top six clubs playing a double round-robin league | 22+10 |
| 1980 | 14 | Double round-robin | 26 | |
| 1981–1986 | 16 | Double round-robin | 30 | |
| 1987–2002 | 12 | Double round-robin | Top eight clubs playing a double round-robin league | 22+14 |
| 2003– | 10 | Quadruple round-robin | 36 | |