The red-and-white Japanese naval 'rising sun' flag, on a ship in Hawaii, during a recent exercise.
Maybe you can answer a question for me. I always thought the WW2 Japanese flag was outlawed and replaced by another flag. Recently, while watching Far East soccer games I noticed the old flag being waved in the stands at different sections of the stadium. Was this flag ever outlawed by the Allies after the war?
Here is an article from 2007 with a photo:
Taking Off With the Japanese Navy
I can't post the photo here as it's from Getty Images.
The red-and-white Japanese naval 'rising sun' flag, on a ship in Hawaii, during a recent exercise.
You are likely thinking of the navy flag, the red sun on a white background with the red streamers shown in the previous posts. The plain red sun on white background was the national flag of Japan (no streamers). It’s use was restricted for a time during and after the US occupation, but those restrictions were lifted in later years.
The Rising Sun flag was the Naval ensign of the Imperial Navy and the battle flag of the Imperial Japanese Army since 1889. It was therefore a Japanese "military" flag and not simply a "World War II" flag.
It was banned by the Allies after the war but re-adopted when the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force was established in 1954.
"Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Japan, Rear Adm. James D. Kelly congratulates Petty Officer 2nd Class (SW) Delrick Traylor from the USS Lassen (DDG 82) after receiving a 2008 U.S. Japan Navy Friendship Association Award at the Yokosuka Heiankaku, Nov 26. Each of the recipients were recognized for their efforts to enhance the relationship between the United States Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force."
A similar situation exists with the German Iron Cross.
The Iron Cross was a German "military" symbol with a long pre-World War II history while the swastika was a World War II era "political" symbol.
After World War II, the swastika was banned but the Iron Cross is still the symbol of the German military.
