I do wish they'd change the Japanese naval flag -- in much of East Asia the Rising Sun Flag is seen as a symbol of oppression and Japanese imperialism, almost as potent as a Nazi swastika. It doesn't do Japan any good to fly the old imperial flag from every Maritime Self Defense Force vessel, even if it was the naval flag since 1889 (by which time Japan already had imperial designs).
If the Japanese had to change their military symbols for that reason, every country in the world would. Even Germany still uses the iron cross as the symbol of their air force.
Very different history on the swastika. The iron cross was used by Germany for 100 years before the Nazi party showed up. On the other hand, the swastika was imported by the Nazi’s and has non German roots.
Similarly, the Rising Sun Flag has deep Japanese roots and is thus less tainted by that time period.
I don't see why every country would have to change their symbol.
Yes, all countries have guilt in their pasts, as do all people, but Imperial Japan was a fascist regime that killed 50 million often with horrific brutality. And let's remember, it's just a war flag, you can change it with the stroke of a pen. The flag won't care. The Self Defense Forces won't start to suck, and the neighbors will have one less reason to think of Japan as an enemy, a real boost to national defense. You might not understand the depth of animus in the region against Japan -- schoolchildren are taught to despise it because of the fascist empire, and the Rising Sun Flag is shown as an analog to the Nazi swastika. Completely unlike Germans, Japanese are portrayed as at best ignorant of the dark side of their own nation's history, and flying a flag that on sight causes more than a billion people to swell with rage because they connect it to Japan's fascist past does nothing to dispel that notion. Fret not, the neighbors also choose to forget the dark sides of their pasts. Yet they must all live together, in an environment that feels like it mixes 21st century technology with late 19th century nationalism.
I love Japan. I've been visiting five or six times a year for quite a while. I flew in naval exercises alongside the Maritime Self Defense Forces. I enjoy Japanese curry. You should really try curry soup in Sapporo, it's fantastic. I could happily live in Japan for the rest of my days. I'd still be happy if they changed the damn counter-productive war flag.
I feel like the people who would be upset about the flag would also be the same people who wouldn’t be satisfied by merely a flag change. They’d say “so what if you just changed your flag? Now change the history curriculum in high school”. And they wouldn’t stop there either, they’d ask for further changes because it’s never enough. “ Why haven’t you demolished the Yasukuni shrine yet?”
I’m _not_ saying that a country that committed crimes in the past shouldn’t have to atone for that by making changes. Germany did this much better than Japan. All I’m saying is that there will be people in the country who will oppose kowtowing to requests like the one you’ve made because they think it’s impossible to satisfy people who make such requests.
> in much of East Asia the Rising Sun Flag is seen as a symbol of oppression and Japanese imperialism
The british flag, spanish flag, french flag, russian flag and even the american flag are greater symbols of oppression and imperialism in east asia. I don't think we are going to be changing flags anytime soon. The greatest and most oppressive imperialists in asia wasn't the japanese after all. It was mostly europeans with a dash of american imperialism thrown in the mix.
But that's besides the point. Also, how about letting the east asians decide amongst themselves what they find offensive. No sense in us being offended on their behalf.
> The british flag, spanish flag, french flag, russian flag and even the american flag are greater symbols of oppression and imperialism in east asia.
I'm sorry but this is simply incorrect, I mean it's not even close. For example you'll see people wearing all of those flags (except the Russian) on their clothing, and you might even see someone wear a Japanese flag (rarely) but never ever the Rising Sun Flag which, btw, isn't a national flag at all, but a military flag. It was, for example, banned at the Beijing Olympics. Please don't try this but if you went outside in many East Asian countries with a big Rising Sun Flag you might not even make it down the street.
Second, the Japanese Empire was not at all like the British, French or Spanish in East Asia. However we can say that European imperialism and European racism strongly pushed Meiji-era Japan to seek an empire. At times the Japanese Empire was more brutal than others, at times it did serious economic development, and during World War II it was horrific to say the least. The European Empires in East Asia were no saints. Look at China. European meddling is remembered as shameful. Japanese conquest and war is remembered as catastrophic and evil.
Please, ask a Chinese, Korean, Taiwanese, Vietnamese what they think.
> I'm sorry but this is simply incorrect, I mean it's not even close.
It isn't incorrect. It's history. Europeans have been colonizing east asia for a long time. China and most of asia consider what the europeans did to them the "age of humiliation".
> It was, for example, banned at the Beijing Olympics. Please don't try this but if you went outside in many East Asian countries with a big Rising Sun Flag you might not even make it down the street.
I agree. But that's politics rather than history.
> Second, the Japanese Empire was not at all like the British, French or Spanish in East Asia.
You are right. Lots of nationalists in asia credit the japanese for ending european colonization in asia. So it is different.
> Japanese conquest and war is remembered as catastrophic and evil
For political reason, not historical reason.
> Please, ask a Chinese, Korean, Taiwanese, Vietnamese what they think.
What makes you think I haven't?
As I said, for political expediency, it is easier for asians to scapegoat the japanese, but many educated asians respect what the japanese did to rid asia of european colonization.
That doesn't mean they don't abhor what the japanese empire did to them. It just means they appreciate that the japanese helped end european/white domination of asia.
After all, the japanese were the first asian nation to defeat a european power. And it's why most of asia ( including china ) model themselves after japan to a degree.
You are mistaking optics political expediency for history and reality.
http://www.mod.go.jp/msdf/formal/family/recipe/archive/curre...