TOKYO, Japan — Japan’s Gamba Osaka have banned dozens of fans indefinitely after a flag similar to the Nazi SS insignia was waved during a J-League soccer match.

Japanese fans attending the Beijing Olympics have been advised not to display the country's "rising sun" naval flag for fear of provoking a backlash from Chinese hosts.

The Topline: Japanese and Taiwanese flag patches featured on Tom Cruise’s jacket in the original Top Gun film appear to have been removed from the Tencent-backed 2020 sequel, prompting fans to ...

There is also a moment (at around 0.33 second mark) when a Japanese fan handles a German flag, giving a strong indication that this clip was taken after Japan had beaten Germany 2-1 in their first ...

That particular flag is called the Rising Sun Flag and is considered by many to be a symbol of Japanese Imperialism, as it was predominantly used by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II.

This flag belonged to Japanese soldier Masamoto Abe during World War II. It was taken after his death by Allied soldiers and has been kept in the Gold Bar Veterans of Foreign Wars hall for many years.