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As we’ve covered in past videos, the swastika has had a troubled past in the world of video
games.
In particular, it is removed from German releases of games due to a certain German law and,
sometimes, across all regions entirely
However, did you know that the symbol has been removed from many other games completely
unrelated to World War II as well?
For example, in the original Japanese version of the Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon, Goemon’s
chain pipe attaches to blocks with this swastika-like emblem.
But upon the game’s release in North America and Europe these blocks were changed to feature
stars instead.
Another example can be seen in the NES puzzler known as Fire ‘n Ice in North America and
Solomon’s Key 2 in Europe - where Round 4-3’s puzzle layout was altered from the
original Japanese version’s to look less like a swastika.
The International versions of Kid Dracula on the Gameboy similarly removed the swastika-like
symbols from the foreheads of the ghost bosses from the first stage too.
More recently, fans discovered the existence of swastika-like symbols in a stage of Sonic
Unleashed, which even existed in the International releases of the game.
This didn’t last long though, as SEGA quickly patched the symbol out, turning them into
squares.
This phenomenon isn’t exclusive to video games either.
For instance, the flag of the Whitebeard Pirates in the One Piece manga originally featured
a skull backed by a swastika-like symbol.
In spite of this, later chapters of the manga as well as the anime adaptation replaced this
symbol with a cross instead.
At this point some may begin to wonder why this symbol keeps appearing in Japanese media
so much?
Well, just as gestures can have wildly different meanings across the world, so too can symbols.
While many westerners today associate the swastika with the Nazi Party, fascism, anti-Semitism,
or hate, its history actually dates back thousands of years throughout many different cultures
across the globe.
In fact, the first recorded swastika in human history was found on a small ivory figurine
of a female bird excavated from a Paleolithic settlement in Ukraine.
The BBC reports, “On the torso of the bird is engraved an intricate meander pattern of
joined up swastikas.
It's the oldest identified swastika pattern in the world and has been radio carbon-dated
to an astonishing 15,000 years ago.
The bird was found with a number of phallic objects which supports the idea that the swastika
pattern was used as a fertility symbol.”
In Japan in particular though, the swastika is known as the “manji” and is largely
connected with the symbol’s sacred Buddhist history.
According to ReligionFacts.com,
“[The Buddhist swastika] signifies auspiciousness and good fortune as well as the Buddha's footprints
and the Buddha's heart.
The swastika is said to contain the whole mind of the Buddha and can often be found
imprinted on the chest, feet or palms of Buddha images.
It is also the first of the 65 auspicious symbols on the footprint of the Buddha.
The swastika has also often been used to mark the beginning of Buddhist texts.
In China and Japan, the Buddhist swastika was seen as a symbol of plurality, eternity,
abundance, prosperity and long life.”
Furthermore, there actually exists two types of manji in Japan.
The left-facing manji represents love and mercy.
While, the right-facing manji represents strength and intelligence.
Today in Japan the manji is most commonly used as a map marker for Buddhist temples
as seen on this map of Kyoto here:
As well as these sign posts:
In some cases, such as at Tokyo’s Sensō-ji temple, manjis can even be seen emblazoned
onto the temple itself too.
More recently, the manji has even become something of a slang among Japanese teenagers.
In fact, it was reported that in 2016 manji was voted the number one buzzword among Japanese
schoolgirls. [11]
The manji’s slang meaning can wildly vary between references to mischievousness, naughtiness,
as a pun on the Japanese word “maji,” meaning “seriously” or “really,” a
word to say while taking photos, much like saying “cheese,” and more.
While this may seem peculiar to some viewers, it’s interesting to note that swastikas
were once wildly popular over in the west as well.
In the 1870s, German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann skyrocketed to international fame
when he discovered and excavated the site of ancient Troy, which had largely been considered
a myth up until that point.
However, that wasn’t all that he found, as he also uncovered at least 1,800 variations
of swastikas laid into sculptures, potteries, and more throughout his excavations.
Schliemann’s experiences with the symbol wouldn’t end with Troy either as he would
go on to encounter more swastikas elsewhere, including Tibet, Paraguay, and the Gold Coast
of Africa.
As Schliemann’s exploits grew more and more famous so too did the swastika, ultimately
becoming known as a symbol of good fortune in the western world throughout the late 19th
and early 20th centuries.
Graphic design writer, lecturer, and author of “The Swastika: Symbol Beyond Redemption?”
Steven Heller commented,
“Coca-Cola used [the swastika].
Carlsberg used it on their beer bottles.
The Boy Scouts adopted it and the Girls' Club of America called their magazine Swastika.
They would even send out swastika badges to their young readers as a prize for selling
copies of the magazine.”
In addition, it served as the emblems of both the famous English author Rudyard Kipling,
best known for The Jungle Book, as well as the British National War Savings Committee
during World War I.
It was even used as the insignia of various military units, such as the United States’45th
Infantry Division up till 1939.
And it became an enormously popular pattern in architectural design of the time, as can
be seen on over 900 lampposts spread throughout Glendale, California to this very day.
Nevertheless, the swastika would be forever changed in the western world as it became
entangled into Nazism.
Anthropologist Gwendolyn Leick explained,
“When Heinrich Schliemann discovered swastika-like decorations on pottery fragments in all archaeological
levels at Troy, it was seen as evidence for a racial continuity and proof that the inhabitants
of the site had been Aryan all along.
…It allowed the projection of nationalist feelings and associations onto a universal
symbol, which hence served as a distinguishing boundary marker between non-Aryan, or rather
non-German, and German identity.”
This led to the Nazi party formally adopting their own version of the swastika as their
symbol in 1920.This continues to plague the swastika nearly a century later with the symbol
still struggling to rid itself of its Nazi connection to this very day.
This can be seen most evidently through the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan’s
aims to remove the manji temple markers from tourist maps to avoid potentially offending
visiting westerners leading up 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
However, these plans have stirred controversy among Japanese citizens as can be seen on
this popular tweet, which was translated by the BBC, stating,
“It's said some would mistake the manji for the Nazi symbol, but Buddhism has a much
longer history with this symbol.
So I strongly oppose changing our maps for some foreigners who are ignorant and extremely
stupid.
The idea is foolish."
The GSI’s executive officer for national mapping, though, hopes that this change will
be helpful to foreign visitors.
Still, he acknowledges the controversy, saying, “Japanese users are divided in their opinions
on the new symbols.
Some say we should change symbols for Japanese-language maps at this opportunity, while others say
the traditional symbols should stay.”
What do you think?
Should manjis be removed from Japanese tourist maps to avoid any miscommunication or should
they be retained to help illustrate the symbol’s different meanings in other parts of the world?
And what do you think about the practice of removing manjis from Japanese video games
as well?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below and please consider subscribing if videos
on regional and cultural differences like this are something that you are interested
in.
Until next time, thank you for watching!
References
1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ej9OPUspjeE 2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gp0_DSiR6dw&t=287s
3) https://tcrf.net/Fire_%27n_Ice 4) https://tcrf.net/Kid_Dracula#Level_1_Boss
5) http://www.tssznews.com/2009/04/29/unleashed-patches-remove-holoska-swastikas/ 6) http://onepiece.wikia.com/wiki/Whitebeard_Pirates
7) https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-29644591 8) http://www.religionfacts.com/swastika
9) https://noriohayakawa.wordpress.com/2016/02/10/the-difference-between-the-buddhist-swastika-symbol-and-the-nazi-swastika-symbol/ 10) https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/12105102/Japan-to-remove-swastikas-from-maps-as-tourists-think-they-are-Nazi-symbols.html
11) https://kotaku.com/the-buddhist-swastika-becomes-popular-slang-in-japan-1822404738 12) https://tokyogirlsupdate.com/5-slangs-school-girls-2016-201612114329.html
13) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3406270/Swastikas-used-maps-Japan-indicate-Buddhist-temples-replaced-tourists-associate-Nazis.html 14) https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/man-who-brought-swastika-germany-and-how-nazis-stole-it-180962812/
15) https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/01/12/national/japan-revamps-map-symbols-baffle-tourists/#.Vp21glIT-c1 16) https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35349619