Red and White

[KhawMengLee]

Just a brief question on the Red and White flag/ribbons we use during shiai. I remember sometime ago it was said this represented the Genji and Heike.

Is this true and what colour represents the two sides?

[SkippyDaStudent]

I was wondering about this as well.

[mingshi]

There is this "Do you know?" box on one of the Kendo Nippon (2005.4) about this... (I am trying my best to intepret the text):-

... Mainly it explains it in a mythological/(pre)historical sense. Say, in Japanese Mythology, Aka / Red is the most important colour. The god that represents light and brightness is Amaterasu OOmikami, i.e. the Sun. Red also gives a feeling of aliveness and strength.

Opposite "Sun=God" is "Moon=Tsukiyominomikoto" - a god of stars at night, which symbolizes the light emitted from the Sun. The transparency of Shiro / White represents purity...

So because that's a major god of the Sun on the red side, the red side is the higher end. Say in kendo, when you are shushin standing in front of Shomen, your right hand side will be East, and therefore red is on your right.