Rightwing Finance Minister Shoichi Nakagawa created a stir Tuesday by backing a plan to display the Hinomaru flag in the ministry's press briefing room.
Though officially Japan's national flag since 1999, the Sun Flag remains controversial due to its association with the nation's militarist past.
According to the Finance Ministry, because briefings are official functions, it is appropriate to display the flag. However, a ministry official was reluctant to admit to reporters that the idea originated with Nakagawa.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.