
Discussing Japan’s Rising Sun flag inevitably stirs controversy. It can be compared to the Confederate flag in the United States, both of which carry significant historical baggage. While Japan has its national flag—a red circle centered on a white background—the Rising Sun symbol is distinct. The Rising Sun flag features a red circle with 16 red rays extending outward. Technically, it is a military flag.
From 1870 until the end of World War II, it served as the war flag of Imperial Japan. Since 1954, a revised version has been used as the ensign of Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force or JMSDF (海上自衛隊, Kaijō Jieitai).

South Korea has likened Japan’s Rising Sun flag to the Nazi swastika, as the country endured Japanese colonial rule from 1910 to 1945.
This historical connection has left deep scars and lingering resentment.
For Japan’s political far-right, flying the Rising Sun flag is part of a collective effort to whitewash the country’s history of imperial aggression during World War II.


The flag appears in promotional literature and on websites of groups such as Zaitokukai—whose members march with signs declaring, “Koreans must be slaughtered!”—and Nippon Kaigi, which counted former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe among its members. These groups often portray Japan’s role in World War II as a “sacred war of liberation.”
By embracing the flag, its supporters signal their belief that Japan should take pride in its military history, including its atrocities. They aim to revive a sense of honor surrounding the country’s failed war efforts, akin to how some Americans cling to the Confederate flag.
Unlike the Nazi swastika, the Rising Sun flag is legally protected under Japan’s freedom of speech laws. However, its use inflicts intentional harm on those who suffered under Japanese imperial rule and their descendants.
It is no surprise, then, that the South Korean government raised objections to the flag ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
This issue led to months of diplomatic deadlock between Tokyo and Seoul. However, South Korea was not the only nation to suffer under the Rising Sun flag. China, Singapore, the Philippines, Myanmar, and Indonesia also endured atrocities, with millions falling victim to Japanese aggression.