POLITICS

I don't know any other nations which have more complicated feeling about their national flags than the Japanese have.

In the case of Japan,national flag has not yet been stipulated in the Constitution.So,it may be appropriate to describe it as "The Rising Sun Flag" because it has the red sun in the middle of white cloth.

The Rising Sun Flag dates back to the time of Tokugawa Shogun
ate which was the Japanese feudal ages from 1603 to 1867.

In 1855 ,Nariakira Shimazu, the lord of feudal "Satsuma clan"located at the southern end of Japan,sujested that their naval flag should be used as the symbol of Japanese ships to be distingushed from foreign ships.

After Meiji Reformation,the government followed the tradition and made it the flag of Japan's naval,air and ground forces. That is to say,it had been the symbol of Japan's military power.

Frankly,I like "The Rising Sun Flag "because of its simplicity and clearness.And I am pleased to see it on the TV in the case of Olympic Game etc.When I was stayed in the USA,I consoled my lonliness by looking the frag in a park.

On the other hand, I know the people who has deep hatred toward the flag.In the war,Japan progressed to the mainland of China or Korea and Japanese soldier burned the houses down ,raped women and killed many children and put up the flag in the invaded land.

For them,"the Rising Sun flag" is the symbol of pain,sorrow and hatred.

As long as the afterwar compensation is not completed thoroughly by the Japanese government,we might continue to have complicated feelings about the flag more or less.

Wait a second and you can see Japanese sports and flag
if you have more than Netscape2 or Exproler2

Since 1955,one of the center of political confrontation between LDP(Liberal Democratic Party)and JSP(Japanese Socialists Party) is about the issue on the "Rising Sun flag"and the anthem "Kimigayo",which means "Emperor's Era",is also not national anthem by law.

"Kimigayo" is never suitable for the people's soverignity ruled in the Constitution.

In 1985,the same year when Prime Minister Nakasone visited the Yasukuni Shrine officially,the Ministry of Education issued guidance to forced to hoist the flag and sing the anthem in the schools.This brought about a nation wide despute.

In Okinawa,where many residents devoted their lives to ressist against landing of the US soldiers in the Pacific War,a young man burned the flag at a national sports events in 1987.

Recently,JSP which has been against the Risig Sun flag and the anthem "Kimigayo" changed its stance drastically to approve them to be coalitated with LDP,and eventually changed party's name to be "Social Democratic Party(SDP)"

Japanese accept Rising Sun as a national flag and Kimigayo as a national anthem,whatever their history and meaning were.

Since 1980,anti"Rising Sun" or anti"kimigayo"slogan has been getting less and less influential rapidly.

I tell you last that I don't have any intention to say "change them and create new ones"and that I only intend to refer to the inconsistency between the Constitution and Japanese which have preserved "Kimigayo".What an idea do you have on this issue?