For the English speakers

Well, with thanks to my Japanese sensei, I began to write my blog posts in Japanese. It is for extra credit mostly, and for my own benefit, so don't expect the language format to change suddenly to nihongo. Anyways, I was searching Google using the term "Japanese nationalism," after a 4chan post and my sensei talking in class. Sure enough, I found a blogger who was surprised to see the Rising Sun flag at his workplace. He compares this to flying the American Confederate flag at work. Fair comparison I say, even as a born and raised Southerner.

Before I heavily was into Japan, I sat down in font of my television and kept on watching a lot of the war programs on the History Channel. I kept on seeing films of us at war with Japan, with the Rising Sun flag flying on ships, homes, buildings and everything else they can think of. While this didn't bring on the fear as, lets say, the Swastika does now, but I imagine that this flag caused problems during the war period. I remember now that even in modern times, I see many people wearing Japanese items and maybe only the veterans feeling offended about it. But when I worn a plain black Iron Cross to, lets say, school or the local hang out spots, people still come up with Nazi greetings or remarks.

In Southern California, there isn't really a major symbol that brings up offense that I can pinpoint and say with certainty. However, if you were in my county during the immigration protests in 2006, the Mexican flag was a symbol many residents got tired of. I remember, even for those short days, I packed a US flag in my backpack and clutched it when many of the "Viva Mexico" protests were around. In other parts of California, the flag of Vietnam is offensive, because it represents the country under communist control. The preferred flag of the Vietnamese community is the yellow flag with three red stripes, which was flown during their civil war (and our Vietnam War).