Rising Sun Offensive?
 

Hey guys, I wanted to get some input on this. In about two weeks im going to be painting my 90 CRX. Its got a full wings west kit and carbon fiber hood. I was planning on painting the car white minus the hood. Then I began thinking that it might be cool to put the main red sun of the rising sun flag on the hood and leave the rest of the hood carbon fiber instead of white. I just started looking into this flag WONDERING if it might be offensive. I really dont want to do this if it will offend people. ESPECIALLY since I work on a military base. So I'm asking for opinions. Is this flag offensive or not? Granted its not the same flag that was banned after WWII it looks extremely similar.

EDIT:

After scowering around it seems that this flag is only viewed as controversial by South Koreans and Chinese.

Re: Rising Sun Offensive?
 

Can't say as I'm not Japanese and was around for WWII, but I'm guessing you'll get tons of shit for it on base.

Re: Rising Sun Offensive?
 

if your not Japanese don't do it, not hating.but you don't see people with chevy or ford driving around with american flag on it.

Re: Rising Sun Offensive?
 

Things are a lot different down here in the south than they are in Cali. lol.

BTW: Its a military flag, not the country flag. People rock these stickers and paint them on their valve covers all the time. It's not about "reppin Japanese emperialism" or whatever your views are about it. It's more about saying, yea my cars an import and it'll kick your car's ass. Thus the reason reasoning behind the military flag and not the country's flag. At least that's my two cents on what I feel about it. But, I know people probably feel different and that's why I made this thread so please keep the comments coming.

Re: Rising Sun Offensive?
 

What country do you live in? Obviously a pre 9/11 America, I see American flags on cars all day...

Re: Rising Sun Offensive?
 

A better analogy would be driving a domestic and painting the modern Confederate flag on it (that flag is actually a combination of the Confederate naval flag and battle flag and wasn't seen in the Civil War). Sure, it isn't the actual Confederate national flag and in parts of the south it is seen as mark of heritage and history but in other places it has a connotation of racism and slavery. Aesthetics aside, you will get a lot of shit for having a rising sun on your car especially on a military base where most people lean towards conservatism. Going beyond the issue of national pride, the Japanese did some pretty horrific things to the Chinese and Koreans, on par with what the Germans did to the Jews and the Roma. Take a moment to read about Unit 731 here. Ask yourself if you really want something on your car that is so similar to the war flag of the Imperial Japanese Army.

Re: Rising Sun Offensive?
 

granted the base i work on is actually a weapons station mainly made up of civilians I'm beginning to think this is a bad idea. I guess I didnt realize how off putting this might be considering I see several people on this forum using the flag in some form on their cars. While most honda enthusiasts prolly just see it as Honda pride I definately don't want to offend somebody because of a misunderstanding. You also mentioned the confederate flag which is a good point. Tons of people have confederate flag stickers around here and nobody thinks anything of it. I guess its all about where you live. Ironic how the rising sun flag could draw more critisism than the confederate flag. Like I said though, I guess it's all about where u live.

Re: Rising Sun Offensive?
 

I say f*ck it, do it. I see these damn stickers everywhere, don't worry about offending people. If people didn't get offended thered be no such thing as stand up comedy. Given the military base situation, I'd ask around on base. But I'd say go for it, its YOUR car. Freedom of speech is a beeyotch. And as far as cars with confederate flags, I live in VA and they are EVERYWHERE! Just my 2cents, but put up pics of what you end up goin with :thumbup:

Re: Rising Sun Offensive?
 

Do it, if that is what you wanna do then do it, who cares if your not japanese, im german but i dont get offended when little douche bags with VW's hang german flags from there cars at shows. who cares paint it SON!!!!!

Re: Rising Sun Offensive?
 

WWII happen before all of us was born so......WHO GIVES A SHIT REALLY??

Re: Rising Sun Offensive?
 

You're in the US military and want to put a Japanese military flag on your car... What does that have to do with your car being a Japanese import?

Re: Rising Sun Offensive?
 

No, Im not in the US military, nor is anybody I work with. I posted previously that where I work is actually a weapons station that is mostly civilians. i.e. civil service and contractors. There are some military guys that work there though. Ive pretty much already decided that I'm not going to do this though. During the next few weeks while I'm wating on my door caps I plan on visiting the junk yard and seeing if i can pick up an extra hood. If i can find one ill do it to that and swap the hoods occasionally. I think this post has opened up some eyes though about the flag. Heck, over half the people say no. That leads me to believe that even osme of the people that voted yes prolly think it could be offensive but just said yes to be able to see the end product. I know before I even started looking into this subject I didnt think anything of the flag. Plain and simple I was ignorant.

Re: Rising Sun Offensive?
 

It'll look shit anyway, why would you paint a flag on your bonnet?

Re: Rising Sun Offensive?
 

Are you IN the military or do you only work at the BX/Commissary? I'm in the military, and I'm telling you it's bad taste.

What I'm about to say will sound irrelevant until you do the math. You wouldn't put a Nazi flag on your BMW would you? Realize the Japanese killed and abused just as many, if not more civilians in China and Korea than the Nazi's killed in Europe.

Sometimes I see people do strange things with their cars. In Vladivostok, Russia I came across a guy who had painted a Confederate Flag on the entire hood of his R34 Skyline. I was bewildered. He said he painted it on there because he was "rebellious." He had no idea about the history behind the flag or anything.

Re: Rising Sun Offensive?
 

Re: Rising Sun Offensive?
 

[sarcasm]Yeah, stuff that "supposedly" happened before we were born doesn't mean shit. [/sarcasm]

Re: Rising Sun Offensive?
 

if they can make this shoe then you can do it!=)
http://www.eukicks.com/wp-content/up...sing-sun-1.jpg

Re: Rising Sun Offensive?
 

Hah. I'm wearing the low top version of those shoes at work right now. Have owned them for nearly a year too.

Though, I am a Japanese American who has grandparents that were "relocated" to the WW2 internment camp at Tule Lake once upon a time...

They were mostly purchased to offend a specific Korean coworker, who does know how to take a joke (thankfully).

A symbol only has as much meaning as you allow it to have. Some meanings get lost with time. If we all worried about every single potential offense we could commit, we could never express anything. Political correctness is the death of expression.

Re: Rising Sun Offensive?
 

i say if it looks cool for you do it... anyone that does take it offensively tell them to go f*ck themselves... and for the most part, everyone else is just gonna think its so jdm lol cuz more then half the people arent gonna know if theres any type of offense to be taking to it (if there even was one)

Re: Rising Sun Offensive?
 

Shit reminds me of all those poser ass kids who rock Bob Marley and/or Che Guerrilla shirts, and who stand for nothing and only do it because it's fashionable. Shit is weak. "If you know your history, then you would know where you coming from, then you wouldn’t have to ask..." ...this forum's opinion.

IMO, it's not classy at all. Then again, you're putting a body kit on a CRX, so what do you know?!?

Re: Rising Sun Offensive?
 

according to you apparently nothing.

but then again what does your opinion mean to me...apparently nothing.

Re: Rising Sun Offensive?
 

Re: Rising Sun Offensive?
 

how about a bigger H logo on your hood?

Re: Rising Sun Offensive?
 

now show me a painted one on a car

Re: Rising Sun Offensive?
 

My belt buckle is the rising sun... lol. I smirk at what kind of BS people think who get offended.

Oh, Im white.

Re: Rising Sun Offensive?
 

I could see how a WW2 vet, or son/daughter/family would be offended. To some of that era the rising sun and swastika go hand in hand. If you wouldn't roll around with a swastika on your hood than a rising sun probably isnt a good choice.

Re: Rising Sun Offensive?
 

all i could think of when you said you wanted to paint a flag on your car was..
http://www.speakenglishordie.com/wp-...eneral.lee.jpg

Re: Rising Sun Offensive?
 

Here's the deal. It's on thing to throw this rising sun on your car. It could be construed as disrespectful when you drive it only the United States military base you work on.

Or.. it has been 65 years or so since WW2.. maybe I'm wrong.

Re: Rising Sun Offensive?
 

i say do it and f*ck it

Re: Rising Sun Offensive?
 

its just the ensign for japan's ships lol...i dont see why people are freakin about the Kyokujitsu-ki, when i was stationed in japan i actually traded a japanese sailor for an american flag from my ship...shit is huge it could prolly be a car cover...

Re: Rising Sun Offensive?
 

its ur car...y u worried bout wat other ppl think...f*ck them...

Re: Rising Sun Offensive?
 

I say if you like it, rock it.. after all it is your car mod it to your taste not anyone elses. Build it for you. Just my 0.02 cents.

Re: Rising Sun Offensive?
 

^^^^^x a billion......

Re: Rising Sun Offensive?
 

how funny i work on the weapons station in goose creek do what you want

Re: Rising Sun Offensive?
 

Man do whatever you want. This thread is kinda dumb,nevermind what "WE" think it's what YOU think...

Re: Rising Sun Offensive?
 

What does "JDM" mean?

I never knew that pattern was from the Japanese military, or that it even was a flag, but maybe that's because I'm under 30.

My opinion, if I saw a car painted like that, I'd be thinking there's a strong likelyhood that you were Japanese, and just "reppin" Japanese style/culture, rather than their military. So it might be a little surprising to see a white guy (or other non-Japanese or Asian) getting out, but no big deal.

It seems to be pretty popular to put stickers of Chinese or Japanese characters on people's cars, especially seat covers with those letters. I'm sure many people buy them without even knowing what those characters even mean. This doesn't offend me either, but the way I see it is they could be buying something that says something weird like "tinkerbell", "teachers pet" or "I hate my car" and they wouldn't even know it.

Re: Rising Sun Offensive?
 

I painted my valve cover as the rising sun, but personally, I wouldn't want to paint it on my car. It's really up to you on what you want to do since it's your car. Besides, you could always just sand it back down or just repaint it something else later

Re: Rising Sun Offensive?
 

i wouldnt do it, but considering the 2 jets that flew over the 24 hours of daytona yesterday both had rising suns painted on there tails i dont think any has the right to say anything about it

Re: Rising Sun Offensive?
 

When I was a kid, I believed I saw hats with two "tails" in the back (80's)
where the whole hat (or tails) had the Rising Sun pattern covering it.

If it is offensive now,
it must have been really offensive 20-25 years ago when this seemed to be a "style."

Does anyone remember those hats?

Re: Rising Sun Offensive?
 

I'm under 30 and know my history. It's called school.