[oblio]

Japan does need a bit of putting down. I've been to Japan and the Meiji Shrine had people with flags of Imperial Japan doing a photo session.

They're quite admirable as a people in most respects but that's just misguided. Especially since without US backing China would definitely want to have a word or two with them about those war criminals. And today's China is not China during the century of humiliation.

On the other hand South Korea did everything peacefully. They deserve their praise 120%. I just wish they'd be reunited with North Korea peacefully and with the resulting country following the South Korean model.

That would be a great counterbalance in the region to Chinese ambition.

[YeGoblynQueenne]

What, a whole country needs to be taken down a peg because a few idiots posed with imperial flags in a wartime srhine?

[mr_overalls]

I'm not going to support the gross generalization that an entire country needs to be humbled, BUT: the shrine is a flashpoint of Japanese ultra-nationalism, which is on the rise.

Common ultra-nationalist beliefs are fairly odious: e.g. Japan should be applauded for liberating much of East Asia from Western colonial powers, the 1946-1948 Tokyo War Crimes tribunals were illegitimate, and the killings by Imperial Japanese troops during the 1937 "Nanjing massacre" were exaggerated or fabricated.

[tauwauwau]

Regarding illegitimacy, in absence of any laws anything can be legal (no laws) but not moral. Just going to leave it here

Tokyo Trial https://www.netflix.com/in/title/80091880

[YeGoblynQueenne]

Those things are true, but the OP said that "Japan" has to be taken down.

As a not unrelated aside, nationalism is on the rise everywhere and if this doesn't change there will be new wars and possibly another (very) big one. I am personally freaked out very much by the rise of nationalism in the EU where I live. I'm not one to trivialise waving flags at a war memorial.

But- again, why does this indict the entire of Japan? Are all Japanese likely to go wave imperial flags at Meiji?

[oblio]

Do you know the history of the shrine? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meiji_Shrine

It's far from a "few idiots". The place is super controversial. A nice place, but super controversial, politically.

[rcombine]

Are you maybe thinking of Yasukuni? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yasukuni_Shrine

[oblio]

Yeah, my bad, wrong link.

[YeGoblynQueenne]

Yes, I know what the Meiji shrine is.

Like I say above, why do a few idiots waving flags at Meiji mean that _the entire country_ needs to be "taken down" like the OP says?

I stress that this is "Japan"- the whole of Japan. Not the idiots waving flags at Meiji. Are all Japanese nationalist assholes?

[jpatokal]

The Rising Sun flag remains the flag of the Japanese Navy to this day, and is appropriate to fly on any occasion where you'd fly a Navy flag.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rising_Sun_Flag

[oblio]

The flag had the sun centered...