What is In 1999, Japan Redesigned Its Flag?

It is a reaction and comparison meme that stacks the pre-1999 and post-1999 Hinomaru flags to mock changes that look identical to the original.

Where did In 1999, Japan Redesigned Its Flag come from?

Imgur user Steezyskreezy posted the earliest known version on February 6th, 2018, paired with a caption about telling his girlfriend he would change.

What does In 1999, Japan Redesigned Its Flag mean?

It calls out something as a cosmetic or meaningless revision, since the actual 1999 flag update was almost invisible to the naked eye.

How do you use In 1999, Japan Redesigned Its Flag?

Users typically place the stacked flags under a caption or another meme template and point them at a product refresh, redesign, or personal promise that barely moved.

Is In 1999, Japan Redesigned Its Flag still popular?

Yes. The format was still hitting /r/memes in late 2024 with jokes about Google's YouTube branding refresh.

In 1999, Japan Redesigned Its Flag

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Published November 13, 2026

Japan standardized its national flag in 1999 by centering the red disc and adjusting the proportions, a change so minor the old and new versions look nearly identical. Imgur user Steezyskreezy stacked the two flags under a caption about empty promises in February 2018, and the side-by-side turned into a reaction format for anything that claims to change but barely does. By 2020 Redditors were pairing it with No Need to Thank Me and It Ain't Much, But It's Honest Work to sell the gag.

two panel memes exploitable templates subreddit origin memes japanese internet memes delayed virality memes

Overview

Posts in this format place the pre-1999 and post-1999 Hinomaru one above the other, then layer a caption or a second meme on top to argue that whatever is being described has changed about as little as the two flags did1. The gag lives on a visual trick: viewers must squint to see the difference, so it fits software redesigns, car liveries, and romantic partners claiming to be new people4.

Sh3dinja's September 2020 /r/memes post slotted the flags into an It Ain't Much, But It's Honest Work setup, with a farmer tipping his cap to the 1999 designer3. Other versions use the comparison to admit minimal effort while claiming credit for a total overhaul2.

Gallery

Origin & Background

Platform

Imgur (source), Reddit (viral spread)

Creator

Steezyskreezy

Date

2018

Japan's Law Regarding the National Flag and National Anthem, enacted in 1999, locked the Hinomaru's proportions at 2:3 and placed the red disc in the center, replacing the slightly off-center 7:10 design used since 18704. The red also got marginally brighter, which is the whole gag.

Imgur user Steezyskreezy posted the earliest documented meme use on February 6th, 2018, stacking the two flags above the caption 'When I tell my girl I'll change for her,' a thread that drew only about 1,620 views and two comments over the following years1.

How It Spread

Reddit caption riffs trickled through 2019. On October 7th, 2019, a since-deleted account posted a version to /r/2meirl4meirl about depression looking like the flag update, drawing around 480 upvotes5. The format broke out in 2020 when Groovyaardvark paired it with No Need to Thank Me on /r/memes on March 1st for more than 41,000 upvotes2, and Sh3dinja merged it with It Ain't Much, But It's Honest Work on September 10th for over 55,000 upvotes3.

Subject matter widened after 2020. On February 4th, 2022, PoetSeaF1OD25 pointed the comparison at the Haas F1 Team's recycled 2021 livery on /r/formuladank for over 2,300 upvotes6. On October 23rd, 2024, CaysGoodAtReddit aimed it at Google's refreshed YouTube branding on /r/memes; moderators removed the thread after it hit roughly 3,800 upvotes7.

Timeline

1999

Japan's Law Regarding the National Flag and National Anthem standardized the Hinomaru's proportions to 2:3 and centered the red disc.

2018-02-06

Imgur user Steezyskreezy posted the earliest documented version with the caption 'When I tell my girl I'll change for her.'

2019-10-07

A since-deleted Redditor posted a depression-themed variant to /r/2meirl4meirl, drawing around 480 upvotes.

2020-03-01

Groovyaardvark paired the flags with the No Need to Thank Me format on /r/memes for more than 41,000 upvotes.

2020-09-10

Sh3dinja crossed the comparison with It Ain't Much, But It's Honest Work on /r/memes for over 55,000 upvotes.

2022-02-04

PoetSeaF1OD25 posted a Haas F1 livery version on /r/formuladank, picking up over 2,300 upvotes.

2024-10-23

CaysGoodAtReddit aimed the format at Google's refreshed YouTube branding on /r/memes before moderators removed the thread.

How to Use This Meme

Place a comparison image, before/after screenshot, or bold declaration above the stacked flags. The top half typically reads as a dramatic change announcement, with the bottom half showing near-zero difference. Mixing the setup with another well-known template, such as No Need to Thank Me, is common2.