"Waving the Rising Sun flag by Japanese fans is sufficiently unpleasant for Asian fans."
Newcastle announced its third uniform created in collaboration with Adidas on official social media on the 2nd. However, a fan, who appears to be Japanese, waved a Newcastle flag shaped like the Rising Sun flag in a video, causing controversy. The flag, which reads 'NUFC JAPAN,' is black and white but is clearly made for Japan.
The Rising Sun flag is a symbol of Japanese militarism. It contains the meaning of not forgetting the glory of the Greater East Asia War during World War II, when Japan waged war, and of preparing for war once again. However, in the Western context, people do not fully understand its meaning and regard it merely as a 'symbol' representing Japan, which is problematic.
Moreover, Newcastle is planning an off-season tour in Singapore and Korea. Newcastle will face Team KLeague in Suwon on July 30 and Tottenham in Seoul on August 3. Tickets have already sold out for advance reservations.
Fans responded immediately. The team, which is touring Asia, used a symbol that glorifies militarism without knowing the painful history of Asia. Fans criticized, stating, "Newcastle is pulling up the painful history of other Asian countries invaded by Japan and may not even realize it is wrong."
British media, including 'The Sun,' criticized Newcastle, stating, "Newcastle used the Rising Sun flag, which symbolizes the Japanese imperial army, to promote its uniform. This flag is banned in countries like Korea, China, Singapore, and Russia, which have painful histories with Japan. Moreover, Newcastle is planning a pre-season tour in Singapore and Korea."
As the situation escalated, Newcastle deleted the problematic scenes from the video and issued an apology. Newcastle stated, "We received reports that a flag that may cause discomfort appeared in the video. The video has been edited immediately. We apologize for any discomfort caused."
FIFA, which prohibits political messaging, also bans the use of the Rising Sun flag. However, the Rising Sun flag appeared at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, prompting Korea to formally raise the issue.
At that time, the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee absurdly responded, stating, "The Rising Sun flag is already widely used in Japan and does not convey any political message," and did not prohibit the use of the Rising Sun flag.
British 'Newcastle United' explained, "The problematic scene evokes the Rising Sun flag of Japan. Many Asian countries find it unpleasant as a flag that symbolizes Japan's imperialist past," adding, "The Newcastle club quickly responded by deleting the problematic scenes from the video after fans raised concerns."
The media commented, "It is likely a pure mistake, but considering how many people participated in the video production, someone should have noticed the situation. The scene of an Asian fan holding the Rising Sun flag can indeed be very unpleasant. We hope that Newcastle's apology will reduce the backlash from Asian fans."
[OSEN]