Episode 54: What Does the Rising Sun Flag Mean?

The rising sun flag refers to the flag of Imperial Japan’s military, particularly the Imperial Japanese Navy, during and before World War II. It has a red circle on a white background with sixteen red rays extending from the circle. It was adopted as the naval ensign in 1870. ​The rising sun is also sometimes used to refer to Japan’s national flag, the Hinomaru (“sun disk”). The exact origin of the two flags is not clear, but they have been used together for centuries. The meaning of the rising sun flag has been developed through time, with countries of East Asia having their own opinions of the flag. Rising Sun: The Innocent Fascist Symbol References 1. Japan in World Politics, Henry Dyer, pg 24 2. Our Country’s Flags and the Flags of Foreign Countries, Edward S. Holden, pg 154-155 3. Case Studies on Human Rights in Japan, By Roger Goodman, Ian Neary, pg 77-78 4.  Flag Worth Dying For: The Power and Politics of National Symbols By Tim Marshall  5. https://theconversation.com/why-do-flags-matter-the-case-of-japan-44500 6. Modern Japanese Cuisine: Food, Power and National Identity By Katarzyna Joanna Cwiertka p 117-118 7. Toshié: A Story of Village Life in Twentieth-Century Japan By Simon Partner pg 55-56  8. https://www.historychannel.com.au/articles/japans-rising-sun-flag-becomes-official/ 9. The Encyclopedia of Contemporary Japanese Culture edited by Sandra Buckley pg 422-423 10.http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/main_pop/kpct/kp_koreaimperialism.htm 11. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/06/27/japan-has-a-flag-problem-too/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.267355b6cd8b --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pacific-atrocities-education/support