Rising Sun Flag Appears Openly at Asian Games Judo Finals

The Rising Sun Flag, a symbol of Japanese militarism, has appeared at the Asian Games, a stage that champions peace and harmony in Asia.

Some Japanese spectators held up the Rising Sun Flag to cheer for the Japanese national team during the judo mixed team final between Japan and Kazakhstan held at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan, today (October 3).

A judo official stated, "We asked the organizing committee of the tournament to take action, but they did not show any significant movement."

The Rising Sun Flag is a Japanese militaristic war flag that remains a symbol of deep pain for Asian countries such as South Korea and China, which suffered under imperialist invasions.

At major international sporting events such as the Olympics, the World Cup, and the Asian Games, the bringing in of items containing political phrases or symbols is restricted to prevent political interference.

However, controversies surrounding the use of the Rising Sun Flag repeatedly surface, particularly at international sporting events held in Japan.

Controversy over the Rising Sun Flag has already flared up once during this tournament.

Ahead of the game between Japan and Taiwan held at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Baseball Stadium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on September 26, the tournament organizing committee posted notices prohibiting the entry of the Rising Sun Flag and Taiwan's flag, the Blue Sky with a White Sun and a Wholly Red Earth, only to remove them a day later.

The committee subsequently fueled controversy by apologizing for banning the entry of the Rising Sun Flag following continued protests from Japanese right-wing groups and others.

(Photo provided by a judo official, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.