Comments

Posts

Japanese Store Stops Selling Nazi Costumes

For years now, I’ve seen Nazi costumes like the one above on sale at Japanese novelty stores. According to articles showing up in English language newspapers, it seems that somebody recently discovered their existence and got the Simon Wiesenthal Center to file an official complaint about it. As a result, Don Quijote stores have pulled the product from their shelves:

The outfit was on sale for about 5,000 yen (£38) in at least two Don Quijote shops in Tokyo, including one in the upscale Ginza shopping district.

Aico, a Japanese party goods maker, has made the costume for seven years and never had a complaint, said spokesman Nobuyoshi Nasuzawa.

“This was meant purely as a joke, as something that would easily be recognisable. If we have complaints we will certainly stop sales,” he said.

It was not clear if Aico would now stop making the costume.

Don Quijote said it would pull the product after receiving a letter from the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish rights organisation based in Los Angeles. The letter requested that sales at the store cease immediately, saying the swastika is a “symbol of hatred” and reminding the retailer that millions of Jews and other innocents were killed by the Nazis during World War II.

“We want to fully respond to this letter from the centre and are currently working within the company to do so,” said company spokesman Kana Kasai in Tokyo.

Oddly, the article only focuses on Don Quijote, which is just one of many different stores where these products are sold. I’m sure I’ve seen them before at other nation-wide chains like Bulldog, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they were sold at Loft and Tokyu Hands as well. The costume is also readily available on Amazon.co.jp, Rakuten, and other online retailers.

Some Googling found 2-channel threads and tweets about the English language news stories, but apparently the story has not yet made its way into Japanese newspapers.

—

Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
Dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)

42 comments - What do you think? Posted by James - December 8, 2010 at 9:23 am

Categories: Odd / Strange Tags:

Rob A

WTF? I was just hoping I could find a place to grab a nice Nazi costume for this weekend.

I see a little irony here:

In Germany, selling or even possessing something like this would probably mean arrest or deportation. This is, of course, as a result of WWII and not wanting to promote Nazi-ism.

In Japan, it’s laughed at and sold as a novelty costume. Japan was an ally of the aforementioned nation, and participated in the same war.

I guess it’s nice to see that some places can move on with their lives and not let history hold them back.

http://www.sakatland.com/blog Sakat

I wonder if in Japan it would be “laughed and moved on with their lives not letting history holding back” if a “novelty” Little boy costume was sold?

misha

probably not. it would probably get a good chuckle in most states of the US, though. and no one would complain.
Rob A

I’d laugh and move on.

Especially because the attack on the US by Japan was unprovoked, and the retaliation was not.

Tony D

“I guess it’s nice to see that some places can move on with their lives and not let history hold them back.”

Kind of makes me wonder if I can buy an atomic bomb costume and wear that around Hiroshima, I’m sure the Japanese would find it hilarious.

Rob A

So you’re trying to say it’s ok to be indignant when you’re the ones who lost out on the event? Sounds kind of hypocritical.

Either everything is ok to make fun of, or nothing is ok to make fun of. There is no fair middle ground.

Snapple

“Either everything is ok to make fun of, or nothing is ok to make fun of. There is no fair middle ground.”

lol, isn’t that just your own assumption? I love it when people try to paint things as either totally black or white.

Hamachiman

Of course the world media outlets are going ape doo doo over this, all over the internet.

Funny thing is, for some reason asian countries have had and continue to have some fascination with the nazis.

http://absolutelybangkok.com/sweet-nazi-chic-it-could-only-have-happened-in-thailand/

potkettle

Just like very Star Trek series and spin-offs always had an episode with Nazis.

Tara2

i really wish japan will start being sensitive to certain things..
i mean, really…
when japan does it, it’s okay because it’s just a joke
and when white person does it it’s wrong and is a white supremist?
that’s just wrong – bc that symbol does represent and even promote hatred – even if they don’t mean to so it should not be used for any purpose, especially as a ‘joke’.

cesar

I don’t think prejudices and grudges like this should be force-fed to cultures/countries where it just hasn’t any meaning whatsoever

here in the west, where german actions had great impact on our worldview, anyone can understand this taboo: nazis can only be shown as evil scumbags and complete jerks, never to be associated with happy and jolly feelings. Right. But to want the same treatment in the east, where nazis are just some guys who made war some decades ago… it’s quite forceful

just let them be

Tara2

i think it’s wrong to say ‘let them be’ – that’s like the worst (and laziest) thing you can say
it’s not matter of history – it’s matter of what it symbolizes that i find it hurtful
and especially making it a joke- is even worse.

misha

Interpretation of a symbol depends on who’s there to interpret it. People can use the same symbol in different ways. Go and read about the history of the Swastika, for example: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika

In my opinion, I think it is incorrect to force your interpretation of a symbol onto Japanese people. Just because you happen to find something offensive or hurtful doesn’t necessarily mean they have to. The opposite is also true.
http://www.japanprobe.com James

Yep, the swastika has been used in many ways throughout history. But you don’t see the Simon Wiesenthal Center filing complaints against people who use it in those other contexts.

In this case, the swastika is being unquestionably presented in a Nazi context.

This product is clearly labeled as a Nazi costume. No need for interpretation – it says it right there on the package: ナチス.

It’s fine to argue that one shouldn’t interpret the swastika itself as a symbol of hatred, but what about the Nazi swastika?
misha

You need to read a bit deeper into my example. It isn’t just about the Swastika. It’s about symbols in general.

To the Western world, Nazism symbolizes a cruel and brutal regime that slaughtered millions. As you say, it is seen as an outright symbol of hatred.

To the Japanese, Nazism symbolizes… well, pretty much nothing. Most Japanese don’t know, and don’t care.
Kevin not kevin

Sorry misha, that’s just not true. People in Japan, aside from maybe teenagers are well aware of what the Nazi swastika means. They might not be aware of the extent to which it offends people, but there’s nothing wrong with explaining the situation.

I don’t feel that a country should ban a symbol like this (aka Germany), but consumers are well in their right to complain to a business and ask for its removal. The business can equally refuse to do anything about it, but they risk losing customers as a result.

The swastika has a long history with deep religious significance, but the Nazi swastika was the symbol for one of history’s most evil organizations. The entire world was sucked into a war because of the Nazis, and no one should ever forget what happened less we repeat the situation again. In this situation there is no Eastern and Western world. 60 years ago, everyone was a part of what happened.
Rob A

“This isn’t a Nazi costume, it’s just my buddhist temple outfit! See? There’s a swastika on the door too!”
KQ

Well in Japan, I can testify that Nazi is not regarded as Jew killing organization but rather a high tech producing cool looking organization.

Hamachiman

And I really wish people would stop generalizing by saying, if Japan/Japanese does this, does that, etc. It’s not the entire nation of Japan or its people that thought up this costume or sold it.

Why is it that anything negative is held up as an example of Japanese in general, whether it’s killing whales or potentially racial situations?

Comment

“Why is it that anything negative is held up as an example of Japanese in general, whether it’s killing whales or potentially racial situations?”

Probably for the same reason you often speak of “the world” (excluding Japan) as if though it was a unified body. In fact, you did it in this very thread just a few posts up:

“Of course the world media outlets are going ape doo doo over this, all over the internet.”
- Hamachiman

Lumping the whole non-Japanese world together makes no more sense than lumping all Japanese together.
Anonymous

Because that’s just how people are, stupid as it is. It’s like people saying all Americans eat only hamburgers and pizza, all Brits like tea and crumpets or all Russians drink and bleed vodka.

misha

this is taking things a little bit too far.

if it wasn’t for stores like this, where else would british royalty get nazi paraphenalia?

http://www.bloggerheads.com/images/prince_harry_nazi.jpg

some people just need to move on with life
WORLD POLICE

Wow! As a PC-brainwashed Westerner, this outfit sold on the other side of the world seriously offends me! They need to stop selling it right now because it hurts my feelings and promotes hatred! Anyone who buys this party gag is a racist bigot and I hate them!

Take this product off of Japanese shelves! And tell those backward Japaneses to stop eating poor, cute dolphins!
hioihoi

it is cool
Symbol is a just symbol..
Jew killed many cannan ppls, too

ij487i

So the killing of “cannan” peoples x thousand years ago by the Israelites makes the Holocaust okay? Then that justifies the atom bombs and pretty much every massacre in human history.

And to be fair, God told them to do it.

Deepspacebeans

I think this story has caused some blowback, at least for me. This story has convinced to send a nazi costume to younger brother for Christmas and demand that he wear it the next time he needs to pick me up from the airport (like those ugly sweaters you get from your elderly relatives that you have to wear whenever they come over to visit).

Though, honestly, if WW2 was a best-dressed contest, those snazzy Germans would have won with ease.
nagoriyuki

Are there any problems if they just change the product’s name into “Chaplin’s famous costume”?
randomcommenter

Somehow, I doubt there would be the same fuss over Mao Ze Dong or Genghis Khan costumes.

colorful

Mao wasn’t bringing the hurt to another racial group as much as he was trolling his own kind, like African Americans using the N word, I guess that’s considered okay? Plus, it’s not like you can just walk around Tian’an Men square dressed in Mao’s attire and not get into trouble.

And Genghis Khan is just distant history. Most people wouldn’t even be able to tell you what a typical Mongolian warrior of the period looked like.

moominsean

at least it’s just a joke item. there are plenty of people in the US that wear that shit and take it seriously.

USA ex-Canadian

“Plenty of people . . . that take it seriously”? Yeah, sure. That’s a bit of a stretch, isn’t it? There are some, but I’d hardly be quick to say there are “plenty.” If you have some statistics, please share them.
ij487i

Yes, because a company spokesman said so, must mean that no one in Japan takes it seriously. Also what kind of lame and tasteless joke is a Nazi costume?

NO1CURR

I’m sorry, but as long as there are Fidel Castro costumes available for sale in the US, a guy dressing up as Mao in San Fransisco, and hipster Lenin and Stalin T-shirts out there, I will never ever give the slightest shit about the Japanese having Nazi costumes.
Kicayurass

“Nazi was a sohisticated organization that created super high tech weapons of that time. It was a leading edge super cool organization except for the massacres of Jews”

Above is how a japanse history freak would feel in general about Nazi. There more emphasis on Nazi’s leading edge technology rather than their killing of Jews.

Both Japanese and western view on the Nazi are correct. They were a leading edge organization but also EVIL organization.

http://tepido.org/ LB

They weren’t all that leading edge – unless by leading edge you meant trying to kill your own people. Cracked’s descriptions are a leetle over the top – but not much. The Natter, Volksjäger and Reichenberg really were that bad. As was the Komet – as in “dissolve you in your seat with acid” bad.

mastaD

This isn’t about the Buddhist symbol. This is about the symbol as it exist within the context of Nazism.

Most Japanese aren’t aware of the horrors they committed unless they find out about it from a non-school source. Like a television program or they read it in a book. I spoke about this article with two ladies in my English conversation tutoring session about this (they are Japanese) and they agreed that it’s an inappropriate costume.

Most Japanese don’t even know their own history in regards to what Japan did during WWII…do you think its a coincidence that they may not know much about the political party that they were ALLIED with during the war? Even Japan can’t own up to its own issues you think its gonna talk about being buddies with Nazis? Of course this doesn’t mean they shared the same values because they didn’t. But they were allies nonetheless.

It’s not a matter of “Its not a big deal in Japan don’t force your ideals on them” its a matter of ignorance and ignorance is not an excuse.

The fact that they did it as a joke proves the level of ignorance. Nazi’s are a worldwide symbol of hate. That’s never going to change and it shouldn’t change. They should always be remembered as such as they were directly responsible for one of the greatest acts of genocide. They are not a joke.

Thinking this is okay is the same as thinking its okay for Japan to sell a Ku Klux Klan costume as a joke. I’m a pretty liberal guy but even I have my limits. If this is happening because they are simply unaware of the meaning, they should be taught what it means so that they don’t do it again.

It’s like Japan and black face. Its not meant to be insulting but it still is. Simply because they don’t understand the history behind black face and what it represents. It also represents how japan tends to see black people which is more insulting than the actual black face but that’s a different story for another time.

http://www.billowykimono.com Senor Science

“Most Japanese aren’t aware of the horrors they committed unless they find out about it from a non-school source.”

A lot of the history manga and books that my elementary school libraries had in Japan owed up to quite a bit of Japanese war crimes.

“The fact that they did it as a joke proves the level of ignorance. Nazi’s are a worldwide symbol of hate. That’s never going to change and it shouldn’t change. They should always be remembered as such as they were directly responsible for one of the greatest acts of genocide. They are not a joke. ”

Somebody better tell the British and Germans then!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWjCkcAmzDc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2FukyXtPeA

http://tepido.org/ LB

“Don’t mention the war! I mentioned it once, but I think I got away with it alright!”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfl6Lu3xQW0

randomcommenter

I suspect there are just some folks who will never understand how offensive stuff like this is. Like me. I believe y’all when you say that it’s offensive. If most folks are in agreement that costumes like this shouldn’t be sold or worn (not that they should be illegal, but that companies should voluntarily refrain from making and selling them, and people shouldn’t dress up like Hitler), then I guess people shouldn’t wear them. Personally, I would find nothing wrong with someone dressing up like Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, Genghis Khan, etc. etc. etc.

I guess it’s like not liking wine, or Beethoven, or Van Gogh. When everyone is pretty much in agreement that those are Good Things (though they may disagree about *how* good they are), you’ve just got to say “I guess they’re good, but they just don’t personally strike a chord in me”. Likewise, I don’t find the Hitler costume offensive, but I guess it is.
Kyo

It’s a costume, nothing important here. If somebody dress Nazi as ideology should be kicked out of polite society, if they dess up to mock them it’s all right, laughts heals wounds.
Robin

Isn’t it somewhat Nazi-like to tell people from another country what they can or can’t sell? I’d understand if there was a significant Jewish community in Japan that had complained about the sale of this item, but there isn’t!

randomcommenter

I dunno. When I think “Nazi-like”, I think of genocide, striking uniform design, invasions of nearby countries, and odd vehicle designs. I don’t really remember a lot of “Hitler telling people in Russia that they can’t sell lederhosen”.

Japanese Store Stops Selling Nazi Costumes

Recent Comments

Further Reading

Bikini Atoll: Lessons For Fukushima?

Complaints From Loony Parents Cancel Event: Okinawan Children Not Allowed to Play With “Radioactive” Aomori Snow

Remembering the International Media’s Post-Fukushima Hysteria: Radiation Scare Stories Ignored Real Victims of 3/11

A Look Inside Osaka Prison

Dead Shark Found in Yoyogi Park

Japanese Fart Battle Scroll

Dinosaurs Wear Traditional Japanese Clothing

Canada Rejects Refugee Application From Japanese Who Feared Radiation

Ishinomaki: Then & Now

Radioactive Seafood? Miyagi Fishing Industry Works to Prove Safety of Their Fish

Categories

Archives

Subscribe

Japan Blogs

Korea Blogs

Linkroll

Other Asia Blogs