Japanese Clothing Store Pulls Nazi Necklaces

Japanese retailer Shimamura has stopped selling Nazi-style swastika pendants. For the time being, apparently. Yesterday, a Twitter user pointed out that the swastika pendant was being sold with a tank top for 980 yen ($8). The photo spread all over Japanese internet sites, appearing on 2ch, the country’s most popular bulletin board. According to Yahoo! News Japan, the budget-priced clothing chain ceased selling the pendant after customers asked if the pendant was appropriate. There are over 1,300 Shimamura stores across Japan and the extent at which the pendant was sold is currently being investigated. Yahoo! News Japan also reports that Shimamura is currently looking into whether or not to put the pendant back on sale. No, really. (Personally, I doubt it will go back on sale.) The Nazi swastika looks similar to the counterclockwise swastika called the “manji,” which, in Japan, is used to mark Buddhist temples on maps. This symbol is derived from India and certainly not directly related to National Socialism. That might explain why it wasn’t caught earlier? Hrm… Putting it in an Iron Cross, though, doesn’t leave much ambiguity to it’s use here: This is a Nazi symbol. In the past, several Japanese popstars have caused controversy with Nazi-themed outfits (here and here), and considering how the Japanese fought with the Germans during the war, this might be due to less awareness with regards to how this imagery is perceived internationally. Top image via 2ch To contact the author of this post, write to bashcraftATkotaku.com or find him on Twitter@Brian_Ashcraft Kotaku pg123 East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you h25 com เข้าสู่ระบบ the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China โค้ดเครดิตฟรีสมาชิกใหม่ล่าสุด and beyond. Tune in every morning from 4am to 8am.