Quote Originally Posted by Eisuke
With all due respect Maciamo but if you think negative about alot of Japanese things and want to change it to your own liking then you should go to a other country.
You still don't understand, do you ? It seems so difficult for the Japanese (on this forum) to compehend how my mind works. Maybe it is because you (and others who react like you) don't know the concept of universal humanitarianism (maybe it's normal as Japan is so self-centered, and so much "us vs them"). In addition, I can argue about anything that is not logical, "fair in all logic" (eg. why did Germany have to do things that Japan didn't).

In this very case (Japanese flag) I have no personal feelings guiding my reflexions. The rising flag doesn't bother at all as an individual. I wouldn't mind having one at home (just to show you that I really don't dislike it).

But MY personal feelings (or yours for that matter) have no place in a rational discussion about the political significance of this flag, the consequence it has on the image of Japan (especially among its neighbours).

Do you understand the importance of "symbolism" in politics ? This is what this is all about. Not just the flag and the emperor, but the visits to Yasukuni-jinja or the war apologies. Everybody knows that apologies or a change of flag will not change the past or repair anything. But it has a symbolic value showing a country's will to cut clear with its past, rather than endorse it. If you can't understand that, then you shouldn't discuss politics, history or international issues.

A last word, I wouldn't waste my time discussing about Japan's flag if I didn't have a deep interest in Japan (maybe another thing difficult to understand for the average Japanese, as they usually wouldn't be more interested in a foreign country as in their own, and usually already lack this kind of deep interest in their own country).