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Nihonjin1051 , welcome to the forum, it is great to have a Japanese in the conversation, so we can get to know more about the Japanese point of view. I think it is a great opportunity for all forum members and I appreciate your taking the time.
I have some questions about the Rising Sun flag:
Rising Sun Flag - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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"The
Rising Sun Flag (旭日旗
Kyokujitsu-ki?) is the
military flag of
Japan.
[1] This flag, dating from the
Edo period, is used as a symbol of good fortune. On January 27, 1870, as a policy of the
Meiji Restoration, it was adopted as the national flag.
[2] The naval ensign and a modified version of the war flag continue to be used by the
Japan Self-Defense Forces, and the design is also incorporated into many commercial products and advertisements. However, as the flag was used by the
Japanese in the conquest and occupation of East Asia and during the war in the Pacific, it is considered offensive in South Korea[3][4] and China,[5] where it is considered to be associated with Japanese militarism and imperialism.
Design
The design is similar to the
flag of Japan in that it has a red circle close to the middle signifying the sun, the difference being the addition of extra sun rays (16 for the ensign) exemplifying the name of Japan as "
The Land of the Rising Sun". The Imperial Japanese Army first adopted the Rising Sun Flag in 1870.
[6] The
Imperial Japanese Army and the
Imperial Japanese Navy both had a version of the flag; the naval ensign was
off-set, with the red sun closer to the
lanyard side, while the army's version (which was part of the
regimental colors) was centered. It was adopted in 1889. The flag was used in overseas actions from the
Meiji period to
World War II. When Japan was defeated in August 1945 and the Imperial Army and Navy were dissolved, the flag fell into disuse.
However with the re-establishment of a Self-Defense Force the flag was re-adopted in 1954. The flag with 16 rays is today the ensign of the Maritime Self-Defense Force while the Ground Self-Defense Force uses an 8-ray version.[1]
Present-day perception
The flag is considered offensive in countries with a strong anti-Japanese sentiment, specifically in China and South Korea,[7] where it is considered to be associated with Japanese militarism and imperialism. During the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Japanese fans were warned not to fly the flag as it would cause offense and trouble with the Chinese.[8][9] In Japan itself the flag is sometimes seen at sporting events and protests by extreme right-wing groups.[10] The Rising Sun flag also appears on commercial product labels, such as on the cans of one variety of
Asahi Breweries lager beer.
[11] The design is also incorporated into the flag of the Japanese newspaper
Asahi Shimbun as well as banners called
Tairyō-ki (大漁旗
Good Catch Flag?) flown by fishermen."
Naval ensign, flown by ships of the
Imperial Japanese Navy (1889–1945) and
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. (1954–present) Flag ratio: 2:3
War flag of the
Imperial Japanese Army. (1870–1945)
The flag of the
Japan Ground Self-Defense Force."
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So it looks like JMSDF is still using the old Imperial Japanese Navy flag. My question is if it seems offensive to people of China and Korean peninsula, why do Japan still continue to use this flag?
I noticed that your avatar picture is showing a JMSDF rising sun flag. But I think many people are not aware that it is still in use by JMSDF and could misunderstand you as a Japanese right wing nationalist.
I don't mean to offer any suggestion to Japanese govt., but dropping the usage of this flag would definitely contribute, albeit in a small way, to improvement of relationship with your close neighbors to the West. As I see it, Japan's long term future security and well being is with Asia, not with EU or NATO. Creating unnecessary hostility with close neighbors is only going to benefit people who do not want to see Asian unity and integration, while they are integrating their own regional union and military alliance treaty org, to ensure their own security and well being.
@
ephone I believe @
Kaan has a valid point. Japan's militarization I believe is not bad for China, because only with militarization, they will become less and less dependent on the US. But I could be wrong about this. The way I look at it is, if the US is uncomfortable about this development, which I believe is the case, then this has got to be good for China.
