Will Japan ban its ‘offensive’ Rising Sun flag at the Tokyo Olympics?

Ant and Dec have done most things in their long careers in light entertainment. But the versatile duo broke new ground last week when they infringed on international diplomacy by wearing Japanese Rising Sun flags on their headbands in a skit with singer Anne-Marie. The use of allegedly offensive WW2 era imagery forced programme makers to edit the sequence for future broadcast. ITV and Anne-Marie were obliged to make hasty apologies.

But is the Rising Sun really offensive? And is anyone really offended?

The flag is of ancient origin, but it has been associated with the Japanese military since 1870, it is still the emblem of the Self Defense Force (as close as modern Japan gets to an army). It is far less common than the red dot on white background national flag (the ‘Hinomaru’) but is still favoured by the extreme right ‘uyoku dentei’ groups who dress in WW2 era uniforms and drive around in armoured ‘sound trucks’ blaring out martial music.