Oasis confronted a backlash on-line this week after sharing a video that includes a rising solar, which followers in Asia mentioned carefully resembled a logo of Japanese imperialism and World Struggle II militarism.
On 8 August, the band shared a video on their social media accounts for his or her track “Morning Glory,” which accommodates a stylised solar motif with radiating rays recurring over varied scenes, from graphic landscapes to city backdrops.
South Korean followers had been fast to level out the resemblance to the Rising Solar Flag and had been upset on the video’s launch simply days forward of South Korea’s Liberation Day on 15 August, a commemoration of the nation’s independence from Japanese colonial rule.
Oasis are scheduled to carry out in South Korea and Japan later this yr. They’ve a present set for 21 October on the Goyang Sports activities Advanced in Gyeonggi province, adopted by two reveals on 25 and 26 October on the Tokyo Dome.
The Rising Solar Flag, often called the “Kyokujitsu-ki” in Japanese, incorporates a crimson solar with 16 rays extending outward and was utilized by the Imperial Japanese Military and Navy from the late nineteenth century till Japan’s defeat in 1945.
Although nonetheless used at present by Japan’s Self-Protection Forces, the flag is extensively regarded in nations reminiscent of South Korea, North Korea, and China as a logo of militarism, colonial aggression and wartime atrocities dedicated throughout Japan’s imperial enlargement.
Critics of its use argue that it evokes painful historic recollections just like the symbolism of the Nazi swastika in Europe.
“If you happen to plan to maintain disrespecting Korea and by no means set foot right here once more, then follow this one. In any other case, hearth them and get another person,” commented one individual on X, previously Twitter.
“Sensible. Nothing says rock n roll like slapping a logo of imperial violence right into a video. It’s 2025, lads—thought we’d left this colonial throwback within the historical past books, not on monitor visuals. You possibly can’t plead ignorance perpetually. In some unspecified time in the future, it’s not a mistake. It’s a alternative,” wrote one other.
“Don’t you need to sincerely apologize for the Rising Solar Flag and delete the video? Many Korean followers, together with myself, are very disenchanted,” one other fan wrote on the group’s Instagram.
On the time of writing, the video was nonetheless up on the band’s social media accounts.
The Unbiased has reached out to representatives of Oasis for remark.
This isn’t the primary time Oasis has encountered controversy within the area. In July, frontman Liam Gallagher got here underneath hearth for posting a racially offensive time period on social media, one extensively recognised as derogatory towards East Asians.
After public criticism, Gallagher ultimately deleted the publish and wrote: “I’m sorry if I upset anybody. I really like all folks and don’t discriminate. Peace and love.”
