South Korean Olympic officials have called on Japan to ban its "rising sun" flag at the 2020 Tokyo Games after claiming it represents a "militaristic and imperial past."
Tokyo organizers say they will not ban the flag... arguing "the rising sun flag is widely used in Japan; and it is not considered to be a political statement, so it is not viewed as a prohibited item."
Let's get an expert's view. Joining me live via Skype is Alexis Dudden, Professor of History at the University of Connecticut. Alexis, welcome to the program.
First of all, explain to us. What is Japan's Rising Sun Flag? What kind of implications does it carry?
If we look to another part of the world for some comparison, Germany officially banned the use of the swastika and other Nazi flag, or Hakenkreuz.
We cannot imagine the Nazi flag being waved at an international sporting event.
Why is it different for Japan's Rising Sun flag?
How should the IOC and Japan go about dealing with this issue? Is it acceptable for Japan to allow the use of the Rising Sun flag at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 and the IOC to condone this action... and from here on forth... should Japan continue to use the Rising Sun flag on its navy ships?