On October 14, a Chinese student from Nanjing wore Japan’s Rising Sun flag during a presentation in a Japanese history class at Moscow State University. An old Japanese military cap sat on his desk.

The student, identified by his surname Chen, is a third-year history major.

The choice of flag was particularly jarring given its history. Japan’s imperial military used the Rising Sun flag during its invasions and occupation of China and other parts of Asia. For many people across the region, it remains a powerful symbol of Japanese militarism.

Chen initially defended his actions as an academic presentation. But his first apology video, in which he wore sunglasses and a face mask, only drew more criticism. He later posted another apology with his face uncovered. Screenshots said to be from his WeChat Moments also spread online, including a Japanese-language profile line reportedly linked to a song associated with Japan’s wartime naval academy. The posts added to the backlash.

On October 17, the Chinese Students and Scholars Association at Moscow State University said the university had launched a formal investigation. The association said the incident seriously violated the university’s educational values and disrupted classroom order. Chinese students who witnessed the presentation challenged Chen at the time. They later submitted a joint petition, complete with signatures and fingerprints, calling on the university to investigate and take action under its rules.

This was not the first time Japanese militarist symbols had sparked outrage in China.

In 2018, two men dressed in Japanese military uniforms posed for photos at a wartime resistance site on Zijinshan in Nanjing. Police later detained them for 15 days.

The controversy over Japan’s wartime legacy also extends beyond flags and military uniforms.

In January, a children’s Pokémon card event planned for Yasukuni Shrine appeared on Pokémon’s official event search page. The event was later canceled, and the company issued a public apology.

Yasukuni is no ordinary venue. It honors Japan’s war dead, including convicted Class-A war criminals. An event aimed at children taking place at such a site was bound to raise questions about how Japan’s wartime history is remembered. Pokémon did not organize the event itself, but the fact that it appeared on the company’s official page drew scrutiny over how the listing had been approved.

Meanwhile, Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs increased its budget for countering information warfare from 17 billion yen to 20.7 billion yen for fiscal year 2026. The Japanese government says the funding will support strategic communications and efforts to counter misinformation. Japan’s presentation of its history to international audiences has also been a source of ongoing debate.

Historical memory does not live only in textbooks or at memorial ceremonies. It is also shaped by the symbols people display, the events they promote, and the stories that circulate in popular culture. When symbols associated with wartime aggression are stripped of their historical context and treated as harmless decorations or entertainment, the history behind them can become easier to overlook.

In the Moscow case, one thing deserves particular attention: the Chinese students who refused to stay silent.

They challenged the display in the classroom and later joined together to petition the university for an investigation and disciplinary action. They refused to accept that the flag was simply an academic prop.

Because the Rising Sun flag is not just another piece of classroom decoration. Its history goes with it.