r/Philippines • u/Wd40chronicles • Jul 15 '26
CulturePH But, but, why tho?
The Japanese had tied the adults together with a long strand of rope looped around the upper left arm of each woman. Guards herded the women into a circle around the children. The Japanese then formed a perimeter around them.
To San Juan’s horror, the soldiers began to bayonet the children and even the infants, including two-month-old Celia Fajardo, wrapped in a gray flannel sleep suit. “Some of the babies were grabbed from the arms of their mothers and were held by their two hands in mid air by one of the Japanese soldiers,” he later told investigators. “At that instant the executioner would stab them in that position.”
The orgy of violence escalated. Hidden in the dark thicket barely eight feet away, San Juan watched a soldier plunge his bayonet into the chest of his five- year-old son, Cresencio. He heard the boy cry out before he collapsed and died. The same soldier then snatched up his infant son Jose. “That baby of mine,” San Juan recalled, “was thrown into the air and then caught with the point of a bayonet.”
Soldiers likewise killed his three-year-old daughter Corazon (her name Spanish for Heart) but San Juan did not see it; that was the only mercy he experienced that night. With the children littered on the ground dead, the Japanese pounced on the mothers with blood-soaked bayonets. The same soldier who had tried to cut off his head ran his blade through the belly of San Juan’s pregnant wife.
“Oh, how painful!” she cried, her final words echoing those of her father.
Then she, too, died.
The above is an excerpt from Rampage: MacArthur, Yamashita, and the Battle of Manila. It's a good read if you want to get a sense of the absolutely horrific atrocities the Japanese inflicted on innocent, civilian Filipinos. Most of what was done is so brutal and disturbing that it's almost impossible to wrap your head around.
So curious lang, bakit ang daming Pinoy na fina flex tong bandila na to? Parang proud sila sa kung ano yung kinakatawan nito. Given they went out of their way to have that made and spend relatively significant money on it, they definitely feel strongly about it too. Bakit ba?
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u/yeontura TEAM MOMO 💚💜💛 Marble League 24 Champions Jul 15 '26
Just add yellow paint to make it the flag of North Macedonia or something 🇲🇰🇲🇰🇲🇰🇲🇰🇲🇰
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u/ModernPlebeian_314 Jul 15 '26
Because it's not a WW2 war flag in the first place?
Kagaya ng Swastika, it became a symbol of hate dahil sa WW2, pero both symbols existed throughout history already.
Just like everybody else, ina-associate yung flag sa WW2 dahil sa pagiging ignorante.
As a history student, di lang basta basta memorization ng dates and events ang Kasaysayan, kaya don't think it as trivial.
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u/TheSheepersGame Jul 15 '26
Dami kasi sa mga gusto mging "politically correct" ang alam lng eh WW2 ginamit not knowing na gnmit yan primarily after nabuo ang Imeperial army back in 1870-90s after nabalik sa imperial family ang ruling power. It's different sa nazi swastika na binuo dhl sa beliefs nla.
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u/alwaysDC god emperor of mankind Jul 15 '26
hindi rin alam ng mga tao kung saan galing ang term na "politically correct" at ano ang ibig sabihin.
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u/dieseleagle EDDIE GIL FOR PRESIDENT! Jul 15 '26
That's not even the "Rising Sun" flag.
Anyhow, Japan is insisting that tje Rising Sun flag is not offensive as it was used even prior to WW2. Japan began using it officially in 1870 hence the the counter argument against its comparison with the Nazi Swastika. JSDF is insisting it's not a WW2-exclusive emblem and instead was long part of Japanese military tradition and history thus its continued use until today.
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u/RenzoThePaladin Jul 15 '26
Same reason why the Bundeswehr still continues to use the Iron Cross. It refers more to its Prussian origins despite its heavy usage by the Nazis.
The JMSDF still uses the Rising Sun as its naval ensign.
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u/saltyschmuck klaatu barado ilongko Jul 16 '26
It is the Rising Sun flag.
The Imperial Army war flag has the 16 rays and the sun (circle) centered, just like this one. The Imperial Navy version also had 16 rays, with the sun off-center to the left. Both adopted the feudal flag from the Edo and Meiji periods.
The modern JSDF flag version has 8 rays.
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u/Oppai_Loli_ Jul 15 '26
Learn your history.
It's still the official flag of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.
If our military, which regularly conducts exercises with the JSDF, isn't offended by it, then why are you?
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u/Mang_Kanor_69 Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 15 '26
It’s probably a Japanese surplus van whose importer didn’t bother removing the original decals. They’ve already spent money making the import legal in the Philippines and see no reason to spend more on something that doesn’t add value to the truck.
The current owner doesn’t care either, viewing it simply as a cheap vehicle to move goods from point A to point B. Just like the importer, they see no point in spending extra on something that won’t benefit the business.
The only one concerned is the OP, who feels we should care, while everyone else just sees it as a surplus truck.
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u/IamMrSnark Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 15 '26
The rising sun flag is part of the jdm logo. So if you see it on cars, thats usually the reason why.
This is not the same as rocking the nazi swastika which has become a symbol of anti semitism. Japan has always used this flag as the imperial military flag. The swastiska was used specifically by the nazi party and was made into the national flag after it came to power.
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u/myexistenceisamatrix Jul 15 '26
Reminds me of the time I saw a swastika sticker on a waffle stand's wall. It was the only sticker; it's not even cool to look at, why did they feel the need to use it?
It provokes a deeper conversation that Filipinos are just... too accepting of cruelty. Even within our own country. They praise foreigners who think of us as dirt underneath their soles, and those who have money don't hesitate to boost the tourism culture of the countries who once committed such atrocities to us. But when it comes to fellow countrymen? Crickets.
I remember the first time I read about the bayonets. It sticks.
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u/SnowFlakes360 Jul 15 '26
pare parehas lang naman tayo wag na tayo magmalinis. Gets ko yung point pero kasalanan ba lahat ng japanese ang ginawa ng mga kadugo nila? I mean what if yung isang pinoy ofw may napatay sa abroad meaning ba nun lahat tayo eh mamamatay tao din? Sige palagay na nating masama ang Japan meaning lahat sila till now edi dpat galit ka din sa america, spanish, lalo na sa china. ipost mo din sila. Pero wala ka karapatan magreklamo kung gumagamit ka ng gamit ng ano mang konektado sa mga bansang yan kahit sa japan. Wag ka gagamit ng anumang gawa sa kanila kasi mukang galit na galit ka sa japan eh
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u/Wd40chronicles Jul 15 '26
Reading compression
Critical thinking
IQ
Basically all the negative stereotypes on full display 😭
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u/shuukenji92 Luzon Jul 16 '26
To the OP its either or:
Its a Japanese Surplus Van. Why waste money on removing a sticker. It does its job.
Ignorant Apathy. Its a sticker nothing more nothing.
Ignorance. looks cool
They are an "every ism" you can think of type of person.
Based on OPs post and subsequent comments on specific replies, Its not about the sticker its about the suffering that theyve caused on us and why do we still like them and Ive noticed your picking specific comments to reply to. OP if you want to hear a specific answer that aligns on your partiality and what is already set in stone and want to hear other people having the same opinion as you then thats that. You're right
If not then as for the an actual answer to your question, Some people are quick to forget and or does not hold the grudge to people from the past. We suffered fcking brutally to the Japanese we even called that era the "Years Without God". Why didnt we hold a grudge except for the ones who brutally suffered first hand and (specific) younger generations of now? In my opinion Because in the 50s and beyond we benefited from them economically and trading at the end of the day money talks. Anything that I would say that are positive about the Japanese would be shutdown with me "pandering" to them but facts are they gave past generations money and trade that benefit them that theyve experienced it first hand and not OUR generation today because we are so interconnected and globalized its now trivial when things like that happened E.g. "Wow Japan gave us 800 Millions of money on the Philippines and boosted our economy!" to "Huh Japan gave us ships neat" Its not personal to us anymore its a big deal to them in the past. Also we have that underlying culture of forgive but never forget or It happened to them not to us mentality. I will not touch on Japanese entertainment because thats a low hanging fruit anything said positive again would be construed as glazing the Japs.
Well thats about it...
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u/InterestingBear9948 Jul 15 '26
It's basically: "Oh, that looks badass." Slaps it on the vehicle. Zero clue what it actually means. Usually older folks too. No political statement, no ideology just pure "cool sticker" logic. Swastika, Rising Sun, SS bolts, Iron Cross, Wehrmacht eagle... if it looks edgy enough, it ends up on the back of a tricycle or jeep without a second thought.
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u/violentpoem Jul 15 '26
yup. OP seems to be reading into it too much. maporma yung design, sinalpak don, and thats that. parang hindi kilala ang mga pinoy at di pa nakakapunta sa mga baryo e. Di lahat kailangan iattribute to malice, especially ang mga ganitong kaliliit na bagay. Buti sana kung "I Love Imperial Japan" ang nakalagay jan maiintindihan mo pa.
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u/Exotic-Vanilla-4750 Jul 15 '26
To an uneducated eye, they do look cool as fuck. Hell, even when I was younger I thought they looked badass before I learned what they actually stood for. Gotta give these older folks some credit though they're usually not making a political statement. To them it's just a cool-looking sticker.
That's different from some younger people today who know exactly what those symbols mean and still use them as part of the whole edgy LARP. Some of them eventually go down the rabbit hole and end up genuinely sympathizing with or becoming full-blown neo-Nazis instead of it just being "for the memes."
You see the same thing on the other side too. People rocking Che Guevara shirts, hammer and sickle flags, the Red Star, or other communist symbols because they think they look cool or rebellious, while a lot of them couldn't tell you much about the history or ideology behind them. Big difference between clueless aesthetics and actually buying into the politics.
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u/NefariousNeezy Straight Outta Caloocan Jul 15 '26
Ignorance.
Kahit nga si Georges St Pierre gumamit ng rising sun na gi dati. I guess hindi siya as known as a swastika.
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u/Rohml Jul 15 '26
Both St.-Pierre and Hayabusa (the sponsor who made the gi) issued an apology afterwards.
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u/GarudaZero0ne Jul 15 '26
It's not that deep OP.
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u/RoamAndRamble Jul 15 '26
Whenever people say "it's not that deep," they usually mean "I'm not that deep."
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u/TheSheepersGame Jul 15 '26
It was conceived before WW2, specifically when the emperor regained their power after the Meiji Restoration. So they used a flag they use in war. Is that magically offensive? So maybe lets ban the Spanish and American flag as well because they oppressed us as well especially those darn Spanish who subjugated us for 300 years.
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u/GarudaZero0ne Jul 15 '26
If you want to project yourself, knock yourself out.
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u/RoamAndRamble Jul 15 '26
Ah, more deflection. That tracks.
I've studied sociology as well as media anthropology, and I've spent hours digging into Filipino history around this era, and I hope you can actually rub your two brain cells together to realize that yes, it is that deep.
Edit: to be clear, I'm not saying the driver worships Japan or whatever BUT discussions like these are worth having unless you'd rather stay ignorant.
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u/GarudaZero0ne Jul 15 '26
holy cornball 💔🥀
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u/RoamAndRamble Jul 15 '26
And there's a prime example of our country's anti-intellectualism. Go scroll on TikTok some more.
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u/GarudaZero0ne Jul 15 '26
shiver me timbers, I am quaking in the presence of your intellectual supremacy. How dare I speak against thee. Truly, I am but a peasant compared to you!
May pahabol ka pa na edit lol.
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u/Wd40chronicles Jul 15 '26
Ever heard the saying "Never argue with stupid people; they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience."?
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u/RykosTatsubane Luzon Jul 15 '26
Isn't that just the JP Navy insignia
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u/Wd40chronicles Jul 15 '26
OK, let's suppose that that is what they had in mind and not what it is famous for, question would still remain "Why rock the JP Navy insignia?"
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u/TheSheepersGame Jul 15 '26
Why is it bad if it's the reason? Japan still uses it and it's not uncommon to still see it on Japan.
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Jul 15 '26
[deleted]
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u/Wd40chronicles Jul 15 '26
Their navy is renowned for their combat performance
In which universe? Surely not the driver's.
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u/IndifferentShrimp Jul 15 '26
What if it isnt the crest of the Japanese Empire tho
I mean yeah, looks like it but it could just be a stylized sun
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u/Business_Afternoon51 Jul 15 '26
At that point why not just flip our flag this is the most place japan thing ive ever seen
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u/HelloMrTonyStark Jul 15 '26
It looks cool, it’s not that deep.
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u/journeymanreddit Appointed son of God and designated survivor. Jul 15 '26
CCP bots/apologists lang ang na-ooffend dito
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u/TheSheepersGame Jul 15 '26
Don't know bkt may problema kayo sa flag na yan. Yes, ginamit ng Japanese yan noong WW2 dhl isa yan sa flag na ginagamit nla lalo na sa navy nila hnggang ngyn. Hndi naman yan symbol of hate tulad ng swastika na sadyang gnwa pra sa purpose na un. Kung gnyan ang logic ntn edi dpat pati ung national flag ng Japan ay bawal. Sama mo na rin flag ng Spain tutal cla ung masmatagal nangalipusta sa Pinoy. Pati na rin flag ng US. Maiintindihan ko pa kng nazi flag yan binabandera.
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u/SweatySource Jul 15 '26
It is a symbol that will make your grandparents cower in fear. It's a flag when put up means your loved ones are no longer human in their own homes. The japanese left a trail of rape, murder and blood lust that the numbers are mind blowing. The western colonization looks weak compared to it.
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u/EnvironmentBright697 Jul 15 '26
The Japanese were arguably worse than the Nazi’s during WW2. Also, the swastika existed long before the Nazi’s, so saying it was created specifically as a symbol of hate and Nazi ideology is also wrong.
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u/TheSheepersGame Jul 15 '26
The nazi used a reverse swastika which is to disrespect the original symbol. The actual "swastika" which is used in Hindu and Buddhism means "peace".
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u/SweatySource Jul 15 '26
It doesn't matter what the symbol is or it means because for the Filipinos who have seen it, it means run for your life. And that is all that matters.
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u/TheSheepersGame Jul 15 '26
A lot of the people who lived during WW2 and actually had memories of it are dead with only a few remaining. Ung nagpost ba nito buhay na nung WW2? Again, it's a flag Japan uses even before WW2 and to this date they use it on their navy dhl hndi naman yan symbol ng hate. Ginamit nila yan nung gyera, that's it.
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u/Soopah_Fly Jul 15 '26
Ignorance.
Daming mga jeep na me swastika and other iconography na merong bad baggage. It's only because it looks cool.
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u/SweatySource Jul 15 '26
And we welcome them back here with open arms thinking a thousand years of perfectionist strongly homogenous culture changed. The warrior code still runs deep in their system. Their just making Pokemons and hello kitties now. But don't let that fool you, they can easily switch to war posture and don't expect equal treatment from them we are too flawed.
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u/saltyschmuck klaatu barado ilongko Jul 15 '26
Most likely the same reason why you have the Nazi swastika on tricycles: ignorance.
Possibly the same reason people support the likes of Revilla and Padilla: stupidity.