The Rising Sun flag was an emblem of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. East Asian countries, especially Korea, China, Taiwan, and the Philippines, experienced infamous war crimes including genocide, forced labor, sex slavery by the Imperial Japanese Army during the Japanese invasion and colonial rule. To the victims of such imperial aggression, the Rising Sun flag is a painful reminder of the wartime horror they had to suffer. The flag represents the atrocities committed by the Japanese Imperial Army and its use is an offense and disrespect not only to the surviving victims but expands to the associated nations in Asia even today.

The history of the Rising Sun flag can be traced back before World War II when its initial use was to symbolize Japan as “the land of the rising sun.” Since the Imperial Army and the Navy used this symbol prior to World War II, many veterans and nationalists take pride in the Rising Sun symbol as a representation of their history and patriotism. However, due to the flag’s association with the war crimes during WWII, its use is subject to political and cultural controversies.

The Rising Sun flag is analogous to the Nazi’s swastika and the Confederate flag in that it was a propaganda symbol with the history of imperialism and violation of human rights. Just as these symbols and imageries threaten those with certain ethnic, cultural, religious, and national backgrounds, the Rising Sun flag distress many with the history of Japanese colonization. However, the impact of Japanese imperialism and its associated imageries are little known in Western society. Therefore the misuse of the Rising Sun flag is still prevalent in Western media, and many are unaware of the horrors associated with it. The recent incident of Craig Baldwin’s poster is another revelation of an ignorant use of the Rising Sun.

We aim to raise awareness of the true meaning of the Rising Sun Flag in order to prevent misuse of the flag without an understanding of its historical context. In order to sustain a safe community, it is critical for everyone to be accountable for the origin and implications of the images they use. Through public discussions and petitions, we hope to encourage the campus community to be more mindful about the importance of visual literacy and cultural understanding. Details on the poster and the following events can be found in the subpage.