Japanese Media Controversy: "It Is Allowed to Wave the Rising Sun Flag at the WBC"

Appearing in Every International Tournament... Heightened Anticipation for Korea-Japan Match

As the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) opened on the 8th, the Japanese sports media outlet 'HigashiSpoWeb' claimed that "there are no regulations against Rising Sun Flag cheering in the WBC, so there is no problem."

In an article titled "Korean professor launches campaign to exclude the Rising Sun Flag... 'Immediate report' but the tournament has no regulations" published on the 8th, the media criticized Professor Seokyung Deok of Sungshin Women's University, who is leading the "WBC Rising Sun Flag cheering eradication campaign."

On November 27, 2022, during the Group E match between Japan and Costa Rica in the Qatar World Cup group stage, a Japanese soccer fan is cheering while holding a Rising Sun flag. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Professor Seo previously stated on his SNS, "In 2016, photos of Rising Sun Flag cheering were posted on the WBC homepage, and in the 2019 baseball international competition 'Premier12' during the Korea-Japan match, Rising Sun Flag cheering appeared, causing a huge controversy."

He added, "If the Japanese cheering squad uses the Rising Sun Flag again this time, I will immediately report it to the WBC and inform the world of the issue through foreign press correspondents."

HigashiSpoWeb, reporting on this situation, said, "Cheering using the Rising Sun Flag is not prohibited by the tournament organizers, so there is absolutely no problem," and added, "Since this is a unilateral claim by the Korean side, controversy is expected ahead of the Korea-Japan match (Tokyo Dome) on the 10th."

In response, Professor Seo said, "Even major Japanese sports media asserting the legitimacy of Rising Sun Flag cheering is an act of denying the history of Japan's past invasion wars."

He said, "If Rising Sun Flag cheering appears again in this WBC, we plan to cause another global embarrassment, just like when Rising Sun Flag cheering was stopped during the last Qatar World Cup."

The Rising Sun Flag, which has appeared at every international tournament... Will it appear again in the Korea-Japan match?

Article on Higashi Spo Web posted on Yahoo Japan [Image source=Professor Seokyeongdeok's research team]

Concerns about Rising Sun Flag cheering have continued even before the WBC opening.

Since Rising Sun Flag cheering by Japanese spectators has frequently occurred in Korea-Japan matches at international baseball tournaments, there is a forecast that the Rising Sun Flag may appear in the WBC main round Korea-Japan match as well.

In fact, Rising Sun Flag cheering has often been spotted in international baseball tournaments.

In the 2009 WBC final between Korea and Japan held in Los Angeles, USA, a spectator waving the Rising Sun Flag behind the catcher was broadcast live on the screen, causing outrage among Korean fans.

In the 2019 Premier12 Korea-Japan match held at the Tokyo Dome in Japan, many Japanese spectators wore T-shirts with the Rising Sun Flag printed on them or waved the Rising Sun Flag, causing frowns.

The Rising Sun Flag is a Japanese militarist war flag that inflicted historical wounds on Asians such as Koreans and Chinese, who suffered from Japanese imperialist invasions.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.