A sign listing the Rising Sun flag as a banned item at a baseball venue for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games was removed a day after it was put up. As criticism grew, the organizing committee issued a formal apology, saying the notice stemmed from a misunderstanding by on-site staff. The committee said the Rising Sun flag is not officially barred from venues.
According to Japanese sports outlet Sponichi Annex and other media on the 28th, signs showing the Rising Sun flag and Taiwan's flag as examples were posted at entrances to the baseball stadium at Okazaki Central General Park in Aichi Prefecture during a Japan-Taiwan game on the 26th.
The signs carried text in Japanese, English and Chinese saying the flags shown above could not be brought into the venue. The wording made it appear that both the Rising Sun flag and Taiwan's flag were prohibited. The signs were taken down on the 27th, a day after they went up.
On the 28th, the organizing committee posted a statement on its official website titled "Apology for Inappropriate Signage at a Baseball Venue."
The committee said it sets certain restrictions for spectators to ensure the smooth operation of the Games and that "displaying the flag of a country that is not participating" is listed among prohibited acts. But it said the Rising Sun flag "is of course not subject to the ban, and the notice was posted because of a mistaken understanding on site."
The explanation amounts to saying that the ban was not official policy but the result of venue staff misreading the rules and listing the Rising Sun flag as prohibited. "We deeply apologize for the discomfort this has caused spectators," the committee said, adding that it would again give thorough guidance to all venues on how to handle the Rising Sun flag so that the same thing does not happen again.
Why Was Taiwan's Flag Also Banned
The controversy has also raised questions about Taiwan's flag, which appeared on the sign alongside the Rising Sun flag. The committee apologized over the Rising Sun flag but offered no separate explanation about Taiwan's flag.
Under the principles set out by the organizing committee, displaying the flag of a non-participating country is prohibited. The committee drew a line on the Rising Sun flag, saying it was not covered by that rule.
Taiwanese media also pointed this out. Yonhap News Agency, citing Taiwanese outlets, reported that the committee's official statement apologized only for the Rising Sun flag and gave no explanation regarding Taiwan's flag.
The Rising Sun flag depicts rays extending in all directions from the sun emblem on Japan's national flag. Japan first used it as an army banner in 1870 and continued to use it during its invasions across Asia, including the Pacific War. In South Korea and some other Asian countries, it is seen as a symbol of Japanese militarism and imperialism.
Since the Self-Defense Forces were created in 1954, Japan has used versions of the flag as the ensign of the Ground Self-Defense Force and the Maritime Self-Defense Force.
The slogan for this year's Games is "IMAGINE ONE ASIA ここで、ひとつに," meaning "Imagine One Asia" in English and "Here, as one" in Japanese. With a dispute erupting over a single stadium sign at an international sporting event built around Asian solidarity and harmony, the committee's handling of on-site rules and guidance has come under scrutiny again.
