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Dez Dickerson's Japan Flag Bandana Question just heard from a co-worker that wearing a bandana like that is supposed to be offensive here in Japan
anyone know a story behind that or why someone would think it was offensive? | |
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I don't and I have never heard about it being offensive in Japan. Or anywhere else for that matter. I know back in 82 when Dez started wearing it because someone who worked with the band gave it to Dez to put on. He dug it and it became Dez's calling card. I went to school with some Japanese kids when the 1999 and Little Red Corvette videos were getting a lot of play on MTV. They all liked the two songs, saw and dug the videos and thought Dez was cool for wearing the headband. Now this was back in 82/83. If it was offensive, them being Japanese certainly would have known about it being offensive and why. They most definately would have told me but no one said a word. At least not to me. This is the first time I ever heard that the headband was offensive. I truly don't believe that Dez himself, not only being a Christian man but just a decent person, would have EVER worn that knowing that it was offensive. P certainly wouldn't have wanted Dez to wear it either because that would have reflected back on to Prince because Dez was in P's band. In 83, I used to wear this t-shirt that had a Japanese Sun design all over the shirt. Back then, it was a popular shirt. I never had anyone say anything to me about the t-shirt being offensive. [Edited 9/8/09 3:37am] SynthiaRose said "I'm in love with blackguitaristz. Especially when he talks about Hendrix."
nammie "What BGZ says I believe. I have the biggest crush on him." http://ccoshea19.googlepa...ssanctuary http://ccoshea19.googlepages.com | |
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Well, I can understand why it would be offensive to Koreans and Chinese living in Japan, as it is akin to wearing a swastika to a Bar Mitzvah. The Rising Sun was a symbol of the Japanese Imperialist regime before and during WWII.
That said, rising sun headbands are widely used as a sign of respect and homage to Japan by Karate competitors in the US and other countries. I'm positive that Dez knew nothing about the offensive nature of the symbol to Koreans and Chinese. If prince.org were to be made idiot proof, someone would just invent a better idiot. | |
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squirrelgrease said: Well, I can understand why it would be offensive to Koreans and Chinese living in Japan, as it is akin to wearing a swastika to a Bar Mitzvah. The Rising Sun was a symbol of the Japanese Imperialist regime before and during WWII.
That said, rising sun headbands are widely used as a sign of respect and homage to Japan by Karate competitors in the US and other countries. I'm positive that Dez knew nothing about the offensive nature of the symbol to Koreans and Chinese. thanks squirrel.....that is what i was looking for i heard something like that the other day but forgot [Edited 9/8/09 17:42pm] | |
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squirrelgrease said: Well, I can understand why it would be offensive to Koreans and Chinese living in Japan, as it is akin to wearing a swastika to a Bar Mitzvah. The Rising Sun was a symbol of the Japanese Imperialist regime before and during WWII.
That said, rising sun headbands are widely used as a sign of respect and homage to Japan by Karate competitors in the US and other countries. I'm positive that Dez knew nothing about the offensive nature of the symbol to Koreans and Chinese. Good post....I can understand that...Most of the Asians that I knew as a kid were Japanese and I knew a few kids who were Koreans and a few who were Chinese. The thing that I learned quickly was that there was this "unspoken" thing, a hostility between them. Especially between the Japanese and Korean kids. They had nicknames for each other and even though the nicknames were English words, the meanings behind them were much more deeply rooted. Sometimes these words could easily cause physical fights between them. Only later, when I was in high school, did I get hip to what the basis of all of that was about. With all of that, I STILL wasn't hip to the Japanese Rising Sun and how it was offensive to Korea and China. Although it makes perfect sense now. I used to skateboard a lot when I was a kid, Dogtown... and I used to wear these Vans hightops that were desined by Christian Hosoi. This cat was off the hook. Anyway, his design was The Rising Sun. The whole shoe was the design of The Rising Sun. What's interesting is that Hosoi is both Japanese and Chinese, along with other nationalities. He was world known and traveled all over the world skating. His shoe, in the 80's especially, was one of the most popular designs worldwide. His signiture skateboard model also featured the Rising Sun design on it. Again, I never heard his shoe or board, catching any flack from anyone. And can't see the company Vans making a shoe or the company Sims making a board if they too had known this symbol was seen by anyone as offensive. Live and learn. [Edited 9/9/09 3:11am] SynthiaRose said "I'm in love with blackguitaristz. Especially when he talks about Hendrix."
nammie "What BGZ says I believe. I have the biggest crush on him." http://ccoshea19.googlepa...ssanctuary http://ccoshea19.googlepages.com | |
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blackguitaristz said: squirrelgrease said: Well, I can understand why it would be offensive to Koreans and Chinese living in Japan, as it is akin to wearing a swastika to a Bar Mitzvah. The Rising Sun was a symbol of the Japanese Imperialist regime before and during WWII.
That said, rising sun headbands are widely used as a sign of respect and homage to Japan by Karate competitors in the US and other countries. I'm positive that Dez knew nothing about the offensive nature of the symbol to Koreans and Chinese. Good post....I can understand that...Most of the Asians that I knew as a kid were Japanese and I knew a few kids who were Koreans and a few who were Chinese. The thing that I learned quickly was that there was this "unspoken" thing, a hostility between them. Especially between the Japanese and Korean kids. They had nicknames for each other and even though the nicknames were English words, the meanings behind them were much more deeply rooted. Sometimes these words could easily cause physical fights between them. Only later, when I was in high school, did I get hip to what the basis of all of that was about. With all of that, I STILL wasn't hip to the Japanese Rising Sun and how it was offensive to Korea and China. Although it makes perfect sense now. I used to skateboard a lot when I was a kid, Dogtown... and I used to wear these Vans hightops that were desined by Christian Hosoi. This cat was off the hook. Anyway, his design was The Rising Sun. The whole shoe was the design of The Rising Sun. What's interesting is that Hosoi is both Japanese and Chinese, along with other nationalities. He was world known and traveled all over the world skating. His shoe, in the 80's especially, was one of the most popular designs worldwide. His signiture skateboard model also featured the Rising Sun design on it. Again, I never heard his shoe or board, catching any flack from anyone. And can't see the company Vans making a shoe or the company Sims making a board if they too had known this symbol was seen by anyone as offensive. Live and learn. [Edited 9/9/09 3:11am] I think any negative impact that the rising sun motif might have brought about in the US would be trickle-down resentment taught by parents and grand-parents of Korean and Chinese expatriates. I remember the Vans shoes had all kinds of crazy designs. Everyone had at least one pair of those.  Political correctness can only be taken so far anyway before it becomes a catalyst for teen rebellion. The eighties were a far cry from PC. I remember a certain hit show that had two inbred hillbillies driving a car around with a giant Confederate flag on the roof. That shit don't fly today, and rightly so.If prince.org were to be made idiot proof, someone would just invent a better idiot. | |
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As Squirrel said, yes it is the Imperial flag and therefore raises terrible memories through China and Korea.
To add to that, though, the flag is used by Imperialist right-wing nutjobs even now. I've seens vans with the flag on it and speakers blaring propaganda in Nagoya and once or twice in other cities. It is embarrassing and shameful to many people and some say they have been linked to political kidnappings, though this is debatable. So in short, it is comparable to some people to say, a swastika (the Nazi one, not the Buddhist one) "...and If all of this Love Talk ends with Prince getting married to someone other than me, all I would like to do is give Prince a life size Purple Fabric Cloud Guitar that I made from a vintage bedspread that I used as a Christmas Tree Skirt." Tame, Feb | |
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To clarify:
National flag 
Imperial flag ie wartime 
not to be confused with the Naval flag  "...and If all of this Love Talk ends with Prince getting married to someone other than me, all I would like to do is give Prince a life size Purple Fabric Cloud Guitar that I made from a vintage bedspread that I used as a Christmas Tree Skirt." Tame, Feb | |
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connorhawke said: (the Nazi one, not the Buddhist one) Hindu, not Buddhist.  |
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moderatorMilitant said: connorhawke said: (the Nazi one, not the Buddhist one) Hindu, not Buddhist. Well, it has been used throughout history as a peaceful symbol by many cultures in one form or another. Some Native American tribes also used it in tapestries and clothing, I think as a good luck sign. Hitler went and screwed that up. He also ruined the squared off "flavor-saver" mustache. If prince.org were to be made idiot proof, someone would just invent a better idiot. | |
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squirrelgrease said: Militant said: Hindu, not Buddhist. Well, it has been used throughout history as a peaceful symbol by many cultures in one form or another. Some Native American tribes also used it in tapestries and clothing, I think as a good luck sign. Hitler went and screwed that up. He also ruined the squared off "flavor-saver" mustache. Amongst other things.....like Europe. "...and If all of this Love Talk ends with Prince getting married to someone other than me, all I would like to do is give Prince a life size Purple Fabric Cloud Guitar that I made from a vintage bedspread that I used as a Christmas Tree Skirt." Tame, Feb | |
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Militant said: connorhawke said: (the Nazi one, not the Buddhist one) Hindu, not Buddhist. Thanks. I was only familiar with the Manji version  "...and If all of this Love Talk ends with Prince getting married to someone other than me, all I would like to do is give Prince a life size Purple Fabric Cloud Guitar that I made from a vintage bedspread that I used as a Christmas Tree Skirt." Tame, Feb | |
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connorhawke said: squirrelgrease said: Well, it has been used throughout history as a peaceful symbol by many cultures in one form or another. Some Native American tribes also used it in tapestries and clothing, I think as a good luck sign. Hitler went and screwed that up. He also ruined the squared off "flavor-saver" mustache. Amongst other things.....like Europe. There is that. If prince.org were to be made idiot proof, someone would just invent a better idiot. | |
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Didn't know about it being offensive to some people, but in the early to mid 80's the headband was really popular. parachute pants, sleeveless muscle shirts and the headband wrapped around a leg and/or head. That was just part of the fashion of the times | |
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