Why This Topic Landed in Japan
At the Nagoya Asian Games baseball game between Chinese Taipei and Japan (Sept. 26, at Okazaki Central General Park Baseball Stadium), signs near the venue entrance used the Rising Sun flag as an example and stated that "the above flags cannot be brought in." The organizing committee acknowledged the sign was inappropriate, saying the Rising Sun flag is not actually banned and that it was posted due to a mistaken understanding on-site, and apologized. But because they said nothing about the confiscation and restriction of "Taiwan" (Chinese Taipei) cheering towels that had also become an issue, critics read the move as deference to China and revived a double-standard backlash.
The day before, a report that a Taiwanese spectator holding a "Taiwan" towel had been made to leave by on-site staff had spread the complaint that "the Chinese flag is fine, so why not a Taiwan towel." Official rules bar flags of non-participating countries and regions as well as political messages, and some reporting says on-site staff asked for the towel to be put away as a political message. The apology, however, covered only the Rising Sun flag sign and did not address how the Taiwan side was handled.
Key Reaction Themes
- Double standard and distrust of the organizers (most common) — The loudest reaction cast "apologizing for the Rising Sun flag but not the Taiwan flag" as governance failure and deference to China, with jabs like "picking fights in every direction" and "never let Aichi host again."
- "The OCA set the rules, and past Games did the same" (a notable share) — A substantial counter-current pointed out that the Taiwan flag was banned at the Tokyo and Paris Olympics and previous Asian Games, and that the OCA, not Aichi, wrote the rules.
- Sympathy for Taiwan and a demand for consistency (a minority) — Some argued that a Games unable to respect participants should be scrapped, and that if the Rising Sun flag is allowed, a "Taiwan" towel should be too.
What Japanese Netizens Are Saying
Organizers apologize for the Rising Sun flag sign but ignore the Taiwan flag and towels
Reactions to the committee calling the Rising Sun flag sign inappropriate while saying nothing about the restrictions on the Taiwan side.
台湾国旗は？
旭日旗の禁止を指示した責任者を特定して、謝罪会見をさせるべき💢 aichi-nagoya2026.org/ja/news-2094/
愛知アジア大会。 なんで旭日旗と台湾旗の持ち込みが禁止なんだよ。 完全に中国の大会じゃねぇか。 テドロス大村いい加減にしろよ💢
【悲報】炎上中の"アジア大会"台湾タオル問題🔥 タオルを持って応援していただけの女性を なぜか愛知県警👮まで同行させ 退場させていたことが判明😰😰 ↓↓ コレはさすがに酷くない？ ただタオル持って応援してただけだよ…😰
これ、さすがに運営の対応がおかしいだろ！？ アジア大会の野球、台湾代表が中国代表に9－1で快勝。 ところがスタンドで別の問題が起きた。 「Taiwan」と書かれたタオルを持って応援していた台湾人観客が、係員に制止されたという。 台湾メディアによれば、観客からは
愛知・名古屋で開催されているアジア大会。台湾代表が中国代表に9-1で勝利した野球会場で、Taiwanと記されたタオルを持って応援していた台湾人の観客が現場の係員スタッフに制止されたことでトラブルに。中国国旗は良いのか？と問答になった事など台湾メディアも報じたと言う
台湾与党派メディア民視新聞インタビュー。フランスのオリンピックで「Taiwan」のタオルや中華民国🇹🇼の国旗を持った観客が排除されたのは2024年だ、まさか日本で熊本地震に19億円強を寄付支援してくれた台湾のアイデンティティをアジア競技大会、愛知名古屋で踏みにじるとは。 Show more
台湾人Threadsより
運営側は説明責任を果たすべきです。なぜ「Taiwan」タオルは制止され、中国国旗は認められたのか。同じルールを双方に適用したのか。大会組織委員会の会長である愛知県知事が経緯を説明するのが筋と思いますが？
Sources: livedoor News, 2ch
Comments:
- "Omura, the organizing committee chair, isn't apologizing for how this was handled at all."
- "Picking fights in every direction, lol—and they'll still discriminate against Japan and Taiwan, huh."
- "This might be the first time I've seen organizers this bad."
- "They apologize for the Rising Sun flag but absolutely won't apologize for the Taiwan flag—their backers are painfully obvious."
- "After a nonstop string of blunders, what 'smooth running of the Games' are you even talking about?"
- "Aichi should never host an international event again."
- "A Games that can't show respect to participating nations should just be scrapped. I'm truly sorry to Taiwan."
- "If they want to avoid political clashes, let's ban the Chinese flag too."
- "The Rising Sun flag and the 'Taiwan' towel are both gray zones, but if the Rising Sun flag is OK, a 'Taiwan' logo towel should be fine too, no?"
- "Setting the Rising Sun flag aside, banning the Taiwan flag is honestly ridiculous."
- "The Taiwan flag was banned at the last Games and the one before that too. Are they lifting the ban starting this Games?"
- "On top of that, the Taiwan flag was banned at the Tokyo Olympics and the Paris Olympics too. Why is it only a problem this time?"
- "The one who set the rules is the OCA, not Aichi 😅"
