Summary of What Happened to the Old Japanese Flag?

00:00:00 - 00:05:00

The Japanese flag has undergone several changes throughout history, with the most recent change happening in 1954. There has been some controversy surrounding the flag, with a schoolteacher committing suicide in 1999 after a bill was passed to make the flag the official flag. In 2018, the Japanese Navy pulled out of joint military exercises with South Korea after the South Koreans were offended by the Japanese flag.

• 00:00:00 The video discusses the history of the Japanese flag, and how it changed over time. In 1854, the Tokugawa Shogunate ordered that merchant ships fly the Hinomaru flag, to represent Japan's growing contact with Europeans. In 1870, the Hinomaru became the official flag of Japan. However, in 1885, a law was passed which made the Hinomaru the de jure flag, but not the national flag. In the late 19th century, Japan expanded into China, and the Rising Sun flag with rays coming off the Sun became popular. In 1870, the Hinomaru was adopted as the official flag for the military and for merchant ships. In 1895, the Rising Sun flag with the Earth Sun in the middle became the official flag for the army.
• 00:05:00 The video discusses the history of the Japanese flag, which changed from its darker shade to a lighter shade in 1954. In 1999, after a schoolteacher committed suicide, a bill was passed to make the flag the official flag, but there was opposition. In 2018, after joint military activities, the Japanese Navy pulled out of the military exercises because the South Koreans were offended by the Japanese flag. This caused a rift between Japan and South Korea.