Japan to remove swastikas from maps as western tourists 'think they are Nazi symbols'

[Aepsilons]

Totally agree.

Yet meanwhile in the US, they have a growing gang culture, racial discrimination and police brutality continues. Millions of refugees are running amok in Europe, and they have enough time to complain about a religious symbol far older than Judaism, Christianity or nation states model. Typical of the west.

Don't like it? Then don't come to Japan. There was even one Swede member who was preaching in a holier than thou tone. Who Scape goated the Jews and handed them over to the Nazis? It was not the Japanese , but Europeans.

The nerve of these people!

 

[Ewok6102]

Japan should have used the opportunity to school the westerners. Help them learn about its culture, history and the importance of this religious symbol.
What they did, instead, was giving the Nazis an undeserved victory. This change will further add fuel to western ignorance.

 

[dadeechi]

He did, but the cross was associated more with Germany, than the Nazi party.
Hitler also persecuted priests, so he is not a representative of Christendom, is he?
It is not like Japan shunned the Nazi regime during WW II, was it,
so the use of the swastika in Japan is crossing the border of decent behaviour,
while India might get away with the same thing.


View attachment 292253

Let me play a hypothetical scenario.

Let's say a party in India uses Cross as it's party symbol and then commits all types of atrocities and then gets proscribed.

Now Cross would get banned in India and Indians expect that all western countries to ban the cross too.

Do you support this scenario?

 

[flamer84]

Japan shouldn't bother just because Western tourists are dumb and have idiotic sensibilities.

 

[Vergennes]

Japan shouldn't bother just because Western tourists are dumb and have idiotic sensibilities.

The Swastikas existed much before it was associated with Nazi Germany,the Swastikas are part of the Asian culture,of course only idiotic sensibilities would get offended of it.
'Muh Swastikas = Nazi,SS,Hitler poor Jews....

@Nihonjin1051 Only some dumb would get offended of it... even there was a Nazi flag every 2 meters in Japan,i wouldn't care really. I just would want to enjoy my trip.

 

[flamer84]

The Swastikas existed much before it was associated with Nazi Germany,the Swastikas are part of the Asian culture,of course only idiotic sensibilities would get offended of it.
'Muh Swastikas = Nazi,SS,Hitler poor Jews....

@Nihonjin1051 Only some dumb would get offended of it... even there was a Nazi flag every 2 meters in Japan,i wouldn't care really. I just would want to enjoy my trip.

Exactly,save me the constant butthurt for what happenned 70 years ago.

 

[Tshering22]

Excessive PC.

I agree @Nihonjin1051 san. Tourists are coming to YOUR country to understand YOUR culture. Not the other way around.

If the are ignorant of what Swastik means in Buddhist philosophy, then it is THEIR ignorance.

Did you know that the Israelis or the Greeks are still asking Germany for 'reparations' ?.
For something happened decades ago,under former generations,Germany still has to pay for its 'bad past'.

And Germany agrees to pay, that's the problem.

Once they refuse things will change.

 

[A.P. Richelieu]

I thought you told me you weren't Jewish?

Yep, but I fail to see what that has to do with the OP.

Swastika is a Hindu Buddhist religious symbolism. So nothing wrong with its use in context to religious practice. Folks can't accept that , then learn to accept the world is not Jewish centric nor for the PC brigade.

The decision is entirely Japanese.

Noone is *forcing* anyone to be "politically correct",

Anyone using the Swastika must be prepared for reactions,
and might want to avoid to continuosly have to explain that
they do not support genocide.

Let me play a hypothetical scenario.

Let's say a party in India uses Cross as it's party symbol and then commits all types of atrocities and then gets proscribed.

Now Cross would get banned in India and Indians expect that all western countries to ban the cross too.

Do you support this scenario?

Some specific variants of crosses has been associated with despicable regimes,
and no longer comme-il-faut. They are not banned but use is discouraged.
Best examples are the arrow cross and KKK burning cross.
If a party of India designs a specific cross symbol then it could well be not PC to use it.
The Confederate Flag has a cross inside, and that is getting a lot of attention,
due to its use in racist narratives, and during the last Year, it has been removed from
public buildings all over southern U.S.

A closer example would be the runes used as symbols for Waffen - SS.
The use of such symbols will cause shunning.

It is like a trademark. If it is not defended, the trademark can be lost.
The generic cross as a symbol is so established, that I doubt anyone can usurp
its meaning.

People insisting on using the Swastika should be aware that displaying the Swastika
is illegal, at least in Germany.

 

[xenon54 out]

so the use of the swastika in Japan is crossing the border of decent behaviour,

I dont agree with you, thats a centuries old symbol for those cultures, just because someone used it for bad things doesnt make it bad, its the ignorace of people not knowing the real mening behind the symbol.

When we had history in school it wasnt mentioned that the swastika was originally from Asia, the education is the problem here.

 

[XenoEnsi-14]

Why not educate the tourists rather than changing your traditional way?

Some people you just can't edumactae.

 

[Brahmaputra Mail]

 

[dadeechi]

Yep, but I fail to see what that has to do with the OP.



The decision is entirely Japanese.

Noone is *forcing* anyone to be "politically correct",

Anyone using the Swastika must be prepared for reactions,
and might want to avoid to continuosly have to explain that
they do not support genocide.



Some specific variants of crosses has been associated with despicable regimes,
and no longer comme-il-faut. They are not banned but use is discouraged.
Best examples are the arrow cross and KKK burning cross.
If a party of India designs a specific cross symbol then it could well be not PC to use it.
The Confederate Flag has a cross inside, and that is getting a lot of attention,
due to its use in racist narratives, and during the last Year, it has been removed from
public buildings all over southern U.S.

A closer example would be the runes used as symbols for Waffen - SS.
The use of such symbols will cause shunning.

It is like a trademark. If it is not defended, the trademark can be lost.
The generic cross as a symbol is so established, that I doubt anyone can usurp
its meaning.

People insisting on using the Swastika should be aware that displaying the Swastika
is illegal, at least in Germany.

But we are not limiting this to just flags that represent a party or nation. Are we?

For Dharmic religions in Asia, it is a symbol of prosperity.

It has been used for millennia.

And it's everywhere. Every house , temple, Business Brands and even on people in India

Even Dalai Lama uses it

Since as you indicated that Hitler used cross too why are crosses not being banned?

 

[A.P. Richelieu]

There are Jewish members on this forum, nobody will harass you for being Jewish. I disagree with your POV mate. Before this, I didn't know this was a religious icon/symbol for Buddhism. Now that I do, why should your people be offended? If I was Jewish I wouldn't be offended. It's honestly not that big of a deal. There's no need to have paranoia. I can't tell if you're paranoid or you're trying to force your views on the Japanese Buddhists. Just let them be.

Noone would harass me for beeing a Martian either, for the same basic reason.

I am fully aware that this is an old religious symbol and have been aware since I was a kid,
so was the runes used by the SS, and I don't condone their use.

I personally find Swastikas distasteful, and will sometimes criticize its use.
The context of its use, is then important.
I would never criticize an Indian in India using the Swastika,
but a European using it would certainly be criticized, even if he/she was a Buddhist.
A Buddhist in Europe need to understand that the use of the Swastika here is not appreciated.

As for Japan, Japanese officials are taking a decision to remove the Swastika.
That is their decision. Noone elses decision.

At the same time, I have the right to display my dissatisfaction if they are used.
The same right as any Buddhist have to ignore my views,

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

continues to spread confusion among Western visitors to Japan.

Umm...so the Swastika causes confusion...but the rest of the characters don't...LOL!
Glad that was cleared up.

The character that looks like an "o" confuses me

 

[A.P. Richelieu]

Since as you indicated that Hitler used cross too why are crosses not being banned?

Hitlers Armies used steel in their tanks, yet steel is not banned, strange isn't it...