No Flag - No Show - No Problem

Earlier this month, Japan chose to withdraw it's multi-national participation in naval exercises hosted by South Korea The reason being that South Korea asked that nations fly their national flags and not naval standards. Stating the obvious, the ROK objects to the use of Japanese JMSDF vessels flying the Rising Sun flag which they see as a symbol of WWII Imperial Japan. Naturally, Japan's defense minister Takeshi Iwaya objected to this request. Japan has flown the Rising Sun ensign since the creation of the JMSDF in July 1954. JMSDF vessels have participated in ROK naval exercises before in 1998 and 2008 without this unreasonable request. Chief of Staff Katsutoshi Kawano said the rising sun flag is the Maritime Self-Defense Force sailors' "pride" and "we absolutely do not go if we have to remove the flag." The Rising Sun is a internationally recognized flag of Japanese Maritime forces. While the South Korean government regrets Japan's decision but pledges to continue to cooperate with each other in the future. As far as we can see it, South Korea can only guilt Japan for it's Colonial period only for so many generations. You can only apologize so much before it becomes a moot point. We believe Japan's JMSDF made the right decision and sailed their ships elsewhere with pride under the Rising Sun.