"We apologize for banning the Rising Sun Flag": Japanese Asian Games Organizing Committee Makes Absurd Apology... Stadium Signage Sparks Controversy [Aichi-Nagoya AG]

*This content was translated by AI.

Controversy has erupted after the Organizing Committee for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games announced that the Rising Sun Flag was prohibited from being brought into stadiums, only to later classify this as an "inappropriate posting" and issue a formal apology.

On the 28th, the organizing committee posted a statement titled "Apology for Inappropriate Posting at Baseball Stadium" on its official website.

The committee stated, "During the baseball match between Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) and Japan held at Okazaki Central Park Baseball Stadium on the 26th, an inappropriate posting was installed at the stadium entrance and other locations, using the Rising Sun Flag as an example to inform visitors that 'the above flags are prohibited from being brought into the venue.'"

At the time, a sign depicting the Rising Sun Flag and Taiwan's Blue Sky with a White Sun flag side by side was installed at the stadium entrance. The text "The above flags are prohibited from being brought into the venue" was written in Japanese, English, and Chinese. The sign was removed within one day after the controversy broke out.

Backlash continued within Japan as well. On the local platform OnLINE, reactions such as "Why is bringing in the Rising Sun Flag banned in Japan, not Korea?" emerged, spreading the controversy.

Subsequently, the organizing committee took direct action to apologize.

The committee explained, "In this tournament, certain prohibitions are placed on spectators for smooth operations, and 'the act of hoisting national flags other than those of participating countries' is also prohibited."

It then issued a separate stance regarding the Rising Sun Flag.

The committee stated, "However, naturally, the Rising Sun Flag is not a target for entry prohibition," adding, "The posting was installed due to a mistaken understanding on-site."

It further added, "We deeply apologize for causing discomfort to our spectators," and "Regarding the handling of the Rising Sun Flag, we will thoroughly re-inform at all stadiums and strive to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future."

Japanese media outlets also successively reported on this matter. Local media conveyed that the organizing committee officially apologized, explaining that guiding visitors that the Rising Sun Flag was prohibited from entry was due to a "mistaken understanding on-site."

Ultimately, the organizing committee has formally clarified its stance of excluding the Rising Sun Flag from the list of items prohibited from being brought into stadiums.

In particular, by effectively formalizing a policy allowing the entry of the Rising Sun Flag—a symbol that has been criticized in many Asian countries, including South Korea and China, as a symbol of Japanese imperialism and militarism—the organizing committee has invited fierce criticism.

Ultimately, backlash also emerged from Taiwan. This is because the same sign listed Taiwan's Blue Sky with a White Sun flag alongside the Rising Sun Flag as prohibited from entry, yet the organizing committee's formal apology only provided specific explanations regarding the Rising Sun Flag.

Taiwanese media outlet Liberty Times pointed out, "The organizing committee's official statement mentioned only the Rising Sun Flag and provided no explanation whatsoever for the Blue Sky with a White Sun flag that was displayed alongside it on the sign."

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*This content was translated by AI.