The one-year anniversary of Ukraine’s invasion by the Russian army is approaching. Since the start of the war, many international volunteers have gone to Ukraine to jointly defend democracy and freedom. Recently, there was also a Japanese volunteer who fought in Ukraine, but he was indeed not holding the Japanese flag, but the “Rising Sun Flag” which was controversial in World War II, which sparked a lot of discussion.
Recently, a group photo of Japanese volunteers and Ukrainian soldiers who went to Ukraine to participate in the war was uploaded on the Internet. In the photo, the Ukrainian soldiers are holding the Ukrainian flag in dark camouflage, but the Japanese soldiers are holding the “Rising Sun Flag” which was controversial in World War II. “.
Because the “Rising Sun Flag” symbolized Japan’s militarism during World War II, it often caused strong backlash in China and South Korea, which were invaded and colonized at that time. The “Self-Defense Flag” currently used by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force follows the “Sixteen Rising Sun Flag” used by the Imperial Japanese Navy.
In 2018, South Korea held the “International Ship Watching Ceremony of the Republic of Korea Navy”, and the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force participated in it as usual. At that time, the rising sun flag also caused controversy. “Flag” flag, and some congressmen criticized: “The rising sun flag is exactly the same as the Nazi flag in the minds of Korean people. Japan’s war crimes still exist in the hearts of the people. I hope Japan will sincerely apologize and reflect on it.”
Also in China, which was colonized by Japan during World War II, there are still many people who are extremely disgusted with Japan and the Rising Sun Flag. A student from Nanjing Normal University once mistakenly hung the Rising Sun Flag as the Japanese flag during a campus event. Do you engage in exchanges under the banner of militarism that once bullied China?”, “There are elite Japanese elements in Nanjing, do you think 300,000 people died less?”
The Twitter account MilitaryLand.net (@Militarylandnet) also posted a photo of Japanese volunteers holding the rising sun flag. Some netizens believe that it is the flag of the Japanese Navy. Although it is controversial, it is still the official flag of Japan.
Since the start of the Russo-Ukraine War, the Ukrainian government has actively called for international volunteers to assist in the fight. Although Japan also has volunteers to participate in the war, due to the sensitive “crime of private war preparation”, the Japanese government deliberately low-key dealt with it. According to the outbreak of the war in March last year, The Ukrainian embassy in Japan once counted that “regarding 70 people signed up to join the volunteer army, of which regarding 50 were former self-defense officers”, but then respected Japan’s position and deleted the relevant information.
A Japanese volunteer soldier was fighting in Ukraine, but he was not holding the Japanese flag, but the “Rising Sun Flag” which was controversial in World War II, which sparked a lot of discussion.
South Korea and China are blown up!The Japanese who participated in the war in Ukraine was not the Japanese flag
Japanese volunteers went to Ukraine to participate in the war and took a group photo with the rising sun flag. Image: Reposted from Twitter/MilitaryLand.net (@Militarylandnet)
Japan lost 0-1 to Costa Rica in the second round of Group E of the World Cup group stage. During the game, many Japanese fans played the Japanese military flag “Rising Sun Flag” which symbolized Japanese imperialism during World War II.Figure: Taken from the World Wide Web video
