How do you feel about the Rising Sun flag being used in Japanese import car culture?
I feel like it's more than a bit insensitive to what Japan did in WW2 and that it's much like putting a swas on a VW, but people seem to not have a problem with it. What do you guys think?
My country was occupied and brutalized by Japan in WWII. WE don't give a fuck regarding the rising sun flag being used on cars. Neither should you. Stop being offended on behalf of others.
Unlike Nazi Germany's use of their swastika logo, or perhaps the Confederate battle flag, the "rising sun" motif has a very long traditional history in Japan easily stretching back hundreds of years. Possibly more. Unlike the other two examples it's not like it was invented specifically to be the logo of a group of shitheads, it just happened to be a logo that was already available that some shitheads used for a while. Confederates like to try clam that their flag is "heritage." By contrast, the Japanese legitimately probably could.
The modern incarnation was adopted in 1870 or something. That predates WW2 by just a wee bit. IIRC it's still used by the modern Japanese navy (or "Self Defense Force," as they're called).
Maybe I misunderstood the initial question. Are we talking Japanese car culture in Japan? Or elsewhere in the world? I think that context and locale probably changes the sentiment.