The rising sun flag, a symbol of Japanese militarism, appears at the Asian Games judo stadium
Nagoya Asian Games judo is performed for spectator cheering in the Korea-Japan-Kazakh finals
Quick Look
During the final match of the Asian Games judo mixed team event held in Nagoya, Japan, a Japanese spectator cheered by unfurling the Rising Sun flag, a symbol of militarism, causing controversy.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The Rising Sun Flag is a war crime flag for Japanese militarism and is a symbol that has left scars on Asian countries that suffered imperialist invasions. International sports competitions restrict the entry of related items into the country to prevent political interference.
(Nagoya = Yonhap News) Reporter Kyung-yoon Kim = The Rising Sun flag, a symbol of Japanese militarism, appeared on the stage of the Asian Games, which promotes peace and harmony in Asia.
Some spectators in Japan cheered for the Japanese national team by unfurling the Rising Sun flag during the final match between Japan and Kazakhstan in the mixed judo team event held at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan on the 3rd.
An official from the judo community said, “We asked the competition organizing committee to take action, but no significant action was taken.”
The Rising Sun Flag is a symbol of Japanese militarism and a symbol that has left great scars on Asian countries such as Korea and China that experienced imperialist invasion.
In major international sports competitions such as the Olympics, World Cup, and Asian Games, the import of items containing related phrases or symbols is restricted and controlled to prevent political intervention.
However, especially in international sports competitions held in Japan, controversy surrounding the use of the rising sun flag is recurring.
Controversy surrounding the Rising Sun Flag has already arisen once during this competition.
Ahead of the Japan-Taiwan match held at the Okazaki Central General Park Baseball Stadium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan on the 26th of last month, the Games Organizing Committee posted a notice banning the bringing in of the Rising Sun flag and the Taiwanese flag, the Blue Sky, White and Red Flag, in front of the stadium, and then removed it a day later.
Afterwards, as protests continued from Japanese right-wing groups and others, he apologized for banning the import of the Rising Sun flag, heightening the controversy.
Open Questions
- Will the organizing committee take official action on the use of the rising sun flag in the future?
- What is the solution to the recurring controversy over the introduction of the Rising Sun flag at competitions in Japan?
