I agree with Rucchal, changing the swastika would only reinforce the idea that that's the Nazi symbol. I'd rather work out a campaign to raise awareness and teach people what the real meaning of this symbol is.

Here in Canada, you'll still find swastikas in the brickwork of old buildings that were built before the Nazis existed. You'll also see it prominently displayed on Buddhist statues, temples, and related buildings. The Buddhist Association of Canada is just up the street from me (in Toronto), and it has 8 swastikas across the top of their iron gate, as well as swastikas on their sign. I know its religious significance, and so do a lot of people, if not most people. It's amazing to me that educated, intelligent people who travel to different countries wouldn't know that the swastika existed for thousands of years before Hitler did. They should not change it to something else. If anyone's confused about it, they need to educate themselves.

Apparently, the police box didn't take it too kindly when i started digging in front of them searching for a treasure chest

I think it would be the best if the swastika would stay. I am from Germany so when I first saw this sign in an Anime I was a bit confused but I came to the thought that there has to be a different story behind this symbol and when we talked aboud buddhism in school our teacher mentioned that the nazis stole it. And I think that the original thought behind the swastika is many times better, that's why I want it to stay as it is. To get back to the original meaning would be a big step erase the way of thinking of the nazis - or at least that's how I would say it. For some Germans it's still hard to deal with the past our culture shares. For example patriotism. Every other nation is able to show their flag or flagcolours as much as they want without thinking about it but in Germany it's a bit more difficult because nationalism was a big part of the nazis and is the bad/extreme form of patriotism - so whenever we want to show our love for our own country we have to be really careful because we don't want others to think that we're crossing the line. There are a few more examples but I don't want to complain too much. The keypoint is that of course Germans feel uneasy when they see the swastika but when they understand the sign they will feel at ease and maybe one day the Hakenkreuz of the nazis will be overwritten and "defeated". And another point is that the sign of the nazis has a fixed direction and I heard that the directions of the swastika and the Hakenkreuz are different. (Please don't misunderstand, "overwritten" isn't the same as forget because history shouldn't be forgotten)

I was watching this video and didn't expect you to call people out on spelling your name wrong. I busted out laughing and I have to give you props. So much shade

I think that the Swastika that's tilted at 45 degrees should be the symbol for for Nazism and the original 90 degrees Swastika should stay as the shrine symbol. What's funny is that my mother actually has a tiny swastika tattoo behind her ear that's backwards to represent her being against Nazism but she was young and not as smart then so now she has to wear a small band-aid over it so no one accuses her of being a Nazi.

I agree about the swastika. Leave it as is. It's part of the culture. In fact, having different symbols on maps for foreigners is a terrible idea. Foreigners are not necessarily always going to have a map in their language available and may have to use a Japanese map. Had they become familiar with the symbols or were they to have a map in their language on hand, they'd be better able to make out the Japanese one.

As a jewish person to whom the swastika symbol always resembled deeply terrifying danger and terror, I was really facinated to hear more of the origins of it! And I agree with your statement about whenever to change or not change the Manji symbol. Faith is faith, and it is pure and sacred. And the way it was twisted to symbolize something so awful, low, and inhuman is more than a great great shame. We should all educate ourselves and others more and purify the name of it, for respect and the value of it to the rightful religion and followers

I honestly don't think it'd take that long to learn the Japanese symbols for different establishments and services, and i'd expect foreigners to learn ours had they come here, so I don't see why it's necessary for them to make changes. Furthermore, experiencing another culture is what makes tourism desirable, if I ever went to Japan it would be because it is so much more different and more interested to experience than say another western nation.

I say keep the swastika. You can learn what it is very quickly and no one would make Americans change the cross sign or whatever if the situations were flipped...

why don't they just hand out brochures to foreigners. they'll be able to translate the symbols with the simple pamphlets and add additional information.

やっぱ寺院のマークは卍が一番だよね卍

I think they should leave all of them as they are! Part of the fun of traveling is learning new things, learning what your destination calls this or that. I particularly like the Japanese postal symbol!! I like knowing that little tidbit! Having been an exchange student to Japan, I can look at the emoticons in my phone and know what some of them mean... really mean. ;o)

地図記号はそれぞれが日本の歴史文化に基づいています。日本に来る外人観光客は日本の歴史文化を味わうために来るのですから、外国人のためにわざわざ地図記号を変更するのは道理に合いません。

In Germany, a circled H signifies a bus stop.

All the other symbols I understand but changing the temple symbol... I mean would christians like it if they were told to change their cross for churches? I would not have known the temple symbol the first time seeing it. However if they are making this for maps for tourists a simple legend at the bottom corner like on our maps saying what the symbol represents would be more than enough. Boooo bad guys, Yay temples!

I can understand why Japan is changing some of it's symbols to make it easier for foreigners. But what irritates me a little is that I feel that Japan is loosing it's culture at the same time. I totally agree with you about the swastika symbol. If this keeps up and Japan keeps changing things to meet the needs of everyone else I feel it'll some of its character and become just like everywhere else which would be really sad.

I'm German, and the H in the circle means "bus stop" here. The swastika sign on maps just makes me think "here be nazis, don't go here", but I completely agree with you on the point that it should not be changed. This symbol's old meaning should be restored. It should be used proudly in order to make it mean the same thing that itmeant for thousands of years. Even here we have people running around in swastika shirts with the tagline "this is not a fucking nazi symbol, educate yourself", although displaying swastikas in any shape or form is illegal. Also, this video will probably be blocked in Germany soon due to the thumbnail. That makes me sad, but youtube ould get into a lot of trouble if they didn't block it. Displaying a swastika means up to 5 years in jail here.

The swastika symbol was also used by some Native Americans long before the Nazis got a hold of it.

譲歩しすぎて自国の文化を壊すようなことだけにはなって欲しくない 異文化理解も大切だが自国の文化を壊してまでやることじゃない

"You guys probably spell my name wrong..>" RaChAeLRACHAeLRACHAeL .... killled me!

Rachel, I always double-check your name because the spell checker gives an error! As for the signs, my favourite is ♨. I would randomly draw that sign on paper for fun when I was little!

Rachel, I wouldn't stress about changing the Buddhist symbol. As you said, this is only for tourist maps, so it isn't really changing Japan's traditions. I'm sure those symbols will not be changed at the shrines themselves, so there's still plenty of opportunity to educate/ upset the bigots.

I absolutely agree with you on Swastika. It's sad when native traditions have to be changed for foreigners especially if the tradition is centuries old. The West doesn't have Hinduism or Buddhism much so they don't know the history or the meaning of both the symbol & the word Swastika but they should definitely teach that in school. We don't need many Christians or Muslims to know the meaning of Christian or Muslim symbols either, the media too plays a huge role in this of course.

i think people don't have to over analyse the situation. They are holding an international event and the point in changing symbols on maps is just so they can let as many people as possible understand what the actual eff they are staring at when they look at maps. Nothing to do with cultural content; it is just easier to understand and easier to navigate. Thats the point of all those effort they put into surveys and research. I think we should appreciate what they are doing and their intention behind this. (Not that u can't complaint or criticise or analyse what they do but this is just how i see it)

I don't think there's a need to change it. It'd be like changing the Christian cross because it's also a torture device.

5:48 I lost it at "it's the name of our channel" 😂

If every country changes like that then there will be no individuality in the future. The fun in travelling is to experience new things learn about other cultures and try to adapt a little bit. It's sad that we "dumb down" everything. I mean it's so easy these days to just google a symbol if you aren't sure what it means they don't have to change it.

自分も卍を変更してほしくないです。もし変更するのならば、変更する理由を「ナチスを連想するから」ではなく、「地図記号として分かりにくいから」にしてほしいです。せめて、卍はナチスと関係ないというのを世界に知らせてから変更してほしいです。

I remember when I was a kid and drew the Buddhist manji and my teacher got so angry. God, people are so ignorant!

こう考えてくれてる人がいてくれて嬉しい😊！

Can we talk about how she called y’all out and exposed y’all who spelled her name wrong 😹👏🏼

I, as a German person, would say that the "H" means a bus-stop (it's called "Haltestelle" in German and is shown with a green H), so never thought that that would be a hotel-sign, haha xD X would also mean treasure (map) to me, haha xD And yes, as a German, I only see the manji as a sign of the nazis. And because we were thought that in school, I never knew that this sign actually has a religious background, thank you for telling me, Rachel! ^_^

地図を開いたらあれだけ卍記号があるわけでそれがナチスではなく何か他の意味だと瞬時に理解出来るような賢い外国人に来てほしいと思うのが本音のような気がする。

I agree that the temple symbol should stay the same

I think everyone might be missing the point the GSI is actually looking at. These are maps for FOREIGNERS. The point of a map is to get where you're going. It's not an educational device. If you pick up a map and see something that appears to be about Nazis, you aren't going to go there. People only check the legend when they don't know what a symbol means, so most of them won't ever look to see that it just means temple. On the other hand, if they see some other symbol for temple on the map and go to one, the manji will be there and that IS a good opportunity for education. I don't think anyone is suggesting the removal of manji in general, just from maps printed in other languages.

We've been using the reverse swastika for hundreds of years in Hinduism

寺としての卍を他のマークに変えるってのは何も誤解を解けないと思うし ナチスのマークとは別物だと世界に発信するいい機会だと思うんだけどなぁ

Is there something wrong with just using the map key? Pandering to ignorance guarantees it.

I always appreciate that you have good contents explaining about Japan.

Thanks Raquel. I think the symbol should remain. It's a basic, simple graphics symbol and is seen in a number of places through history. It's probably been around since humans first drew marks in the dirt! The Germans weren't the first to use it and they don't own it. And those that are too narrow of mind and overreact to EVERYTHING will just have to deal with it.

That spelling your name wrong... I'm laughing harder than I should LOL 😂

I love and agree with you about the symbolism! It's important to keep cultures their own. Education is so important and it's one of the cool things that when you travel you come back home and say this is what i saw and this is what i learned! it makes for great story telling and helps break down barriers. Its one of those experiences you can talk about for along time. When i go to other cites thats what i love is the experience, but for something as big a the Olympics i understand making things easier so people could get around in a place where things are impossible to read if you don't know how! lol but that is a tough one the more i thing about it but i would opt with no don't change it....

Would love to see a quick video on your aquarium! I just set up my first one and I'm loving the hobby so far

★Subtitles!★ *Japanese* *English* *English (United Kingdom)* thanks to: robsab20 *Spanish* thanks to: Marina Wildness *French* thanks to: Maria J. *German (Germany)* thanks to: robsab20 *Bulgarian* *Polish* *Portuguese* *Italian* thanks to: Nadia Mushi-shi *Dutch* thanks to: Sven VI *Swedish* *Czech* *Chinese (Taiwan)*

I don´t get how some people go to another country and just want to change everything. In Germany the foreigners ruin so many traditions. Some places call "Christkindlmärkte" Winterfests because some not christian people are offended. If i would visit Japan i would respect the culture and would try to not offend anyone. I would not want to force my point of view on everyone. But if european people are proud of their traditions they are racists. =(

そもそも悪いのはナチスであって記号じゃないだろ。

Loved the video, extremely informative! Thanks a bunch.... Rachale.

So, they are changing the symbols because they want to make it easier for foreigners. That's the goal. Ok, so keeping the manji to "teach" foreigners that it's not a swastika but a Buddhist manji goes against that goal. If the goal is to teach foreigners, then don't change any symbol, and teach foreigners that the "te" means postoffice and that the "helipad" means hotel. Nevertheless, I agree, no need to change it, "for the sake of the foreigner". Let them figure it out.

Hey, Rachel! I would really love to see a video where you speak entirely in Japanese! :D Think it'd be really cool and I've always wanted to hear you speak Japanese, hehe

I really really Truely appreciate that you had put so much thought into the Mamji sighn. Thank you so so so much

I agree but if it’s just on maps for foreigners I think it still makes sense to change it to a more understandable pictogram. That way tourists can tell that it’s a temple, and if they decide to visit they may end up seeing swastikas there and learning about what it means. Removing swastikas from the actual temples to appease tourists wouldn’t be okay but the icon needs to be easy to understand like the others

This was a really interesting topic. Sounds like they are really trying very hard to make things easier on the foreigners to find their way around the areas. That's really impressive as it sounds very expensive to complete. Good on you Japan! P.S. Lol at the comment about your name being misspelled as it's the name of the channel. Thankfully I wasn't drinking anything when I got to that part of the video. haha

文化を理解してくれてありがとうございます

Hey Rachel I just had my Spotify playing and I thought you had a really good background music xD

I agree that leaving the swastika in the maps would be better. Since they are adding so many changes, they should just add a little history blurb about the symbol instead of changing it.

As a Jew I can understand why some may have issue with the temple symbol. But I also believe knowledge is power. While others may take issue I see it as one pervererted by the 3rd Reich.

こんにちは。レイチェルさんに「卍がナチに負けているようで悔しい」と言ってもらえて嬉しかったです。 個人的にはユダヤ系の人達やナチに脅かされた人達に対する配慮は必要と思いますが、卍が漢字で仏教用語だと世界に理解してもらう事も必要だと思います。 地図記号を変えたって、実際にお寺などに行けば卍を目にすることは多いのですから。 数年前に大晦日の寺院の中継で卍がテレビに映り、欧米人からハーケンクロイツだと抗議された記事を思い出しました。 あれから何年たったか正確には思い出せませんが、少しは卍が国際的に認知されることを願っています。 追伸、私は不勉強英語が苦手です。 できれば今回の皆さんのコメントを動画で教えてくだされば幸いです。 長文失礼しました。

Thank you for the edification. Great video.

It is great that there is so much work and thought put into making things easier for foreign visitors. Although I understand and appreciate the meaning and history behind the swastika (pre-nazzi) I think that just changing the font might make a difference. The font where the swastika has the straight/squared-off edges is the one that is most often identified negatively, however if the one with the more curved lines were used it would have people asking as to why it looks a bit different and at least open a conversation for individuals that are not familiar with the symbols Hindu/Buddhist origin.

習った時から、誰か絶対問題視するやろなぁ~とは思ってた

I think it'd help greatly if you'd stop referring to it as "the swastika". Making sure people recognize theres a difference of intent between the two. Besides, "Keep the Manji" just sounds so much better than "Keep the Swastika"

Just want to say, I love your show! I've been using your channel to learn as much as I can for my first trip to Japan!

Lol what are people supposed to think of swastikas in a map if they haven't been to Japan? "Watch out, these are the designated Nazi spots in Japan, where all the Japanese Nazi congregate and have non-kosher bbq." Instead of learning something, they bring their preconceptions and apply it to a foreign culture.

I agree with you on the swastika, but my favorite part was your plug to get people to spell your name correctly xD

Awww, that's so sweet of Japan to do that. I mean, obviously, it good for business, but it's still so sweet! I do agree with you on the symbol, it does look similar to the Nazi symbol, but it's a completely different meaning. I remember first seeing the symbol and being just really offended that it was showcased for the world. But then I learned it wasn't the Nazi signal and that it's part of someone's religion. I feel like if Japan does teach tourist that way--they would understand. I mean, I understood it and I was 14 when I was first introduced to it. And wouldn't it be good for the religion as well? I know they like inviting people to learn about their religion. I went to a Hindu temple here in the U.S, and it was just really peaceful and I felt that I grew knowledge on what other people view life as. Ohhh, and yes, a temple in the U.S., it was a rare experience that I'm content to hold. :)

Thank you for being a family friendly channel my little brother loves your vids

I agree. Here in Finland swastika has traditionally been a symbol of happiness and it's used for thousands of years. Nowadays the swastikas are highly stylized, so foreign people won't confuse them as nazi-symbols, but they're still used for various stuff.

I hate that everything is getting more and more global. A lot of traditional stuff is getting pushed away and soon every place in the world would be the same.

I think that while the swastika still (and should) has a negative meaning due to the nazi regime, there are also many different meanings for the symbols such as the swastika, although if they are trying to be friendly to foreigners then I say nix the swastika. however I also believe foreigners shouldn't dictate how a country changes their beliefs/symbols! definitely a difficult situation with no easy answer!

I've learned something new from this video! Thanks for being so passionately informative, Rachel!

いつも楽しみに視聴させてもらってます。日本を海外の方から見た意見や見解など再認識することも多く、今回の話題も非常に興味深く見させてもらいました。差別やナチなどの話題は外国人の方だといろいろとご苦労もあるかと思いますが、これからも頑張って動画投稿を続けて頂けると幸いです。

The shrine symbol would be more recognizable if it was curved at the top. As for the swastika, I doubt most foreigners would associate it with a temple, so if the map is aimed at foreigners, it would make sense to change it.

I agree that Japan should keep the swastika, first time i visited i didn't understand much about it but by the time i went home i had learnt loads about why it's used and buddism, and surely thats one of the best things about visiting a new country or experiencing a new culture? Educating yourself and broadening your horizons. Awesome video Rachiel. ;P

The Swastika used in Greece too! There are swastikas curved to stone 4.000 years back! Today the whole Europe believes that swastika is something sooo bad...

Thanks Raecciochille, very informative.

I completely agree. Please Japan, please don't ever change this symbol. This symbol needs you to keep it sacred. It was destroyed and needs to be taught to people that don't know it's history. People should understand that there is plenty of history before WWII and accept that it is truly a symbol of love, compassion, hope, and strength. I would love to go to Japan one day knowing this fun fact about your awesome culture and spread the love to fellow foreigners. Peace✌

The Nazis and Buddhists aren't the only people that have used the swastika. Native American tribes used it, it was used in Ancient Greece and Rome, and across the Middle East. It meant different things in all these cultures. The Nazis shouldn't have a monopoly on the swastika.

Hey Raytchile! Love ur vids! I think it's great that they are doing their best for foreigners. I would highly encourage them to learn about the culture of Japan and keep the Buddhist symbol. That's just my opinion. Thanks Rawcthle, can't wait for more!

Great video Rachul

I don't think it should be changed to please offended tourists. However, you have to remember that it's just a map, and a map's supposed to let people know what is where. People don't know that the swastika means temple, therefore it should be changed.

外国人旅行者向けの地図表記変更には賛成です。でも卍を変更する理由はハーケンクロイツを連想させるから…ではなく、単に分かりにくいで良いと思います。 ハーケンクロイツを理由にしてしまうと、後々卍自体が使いずらくなってしまうかもしれない。 レイチェルさんが卍変更は悔しいと仰っていたのは、うれしいです。

I've been noticing the symbol changes already! The post office hasn't been changed, but on Google maps the hotel symbol is different as are some temples. I've also noticed a change in facilities for foreigners on this trip. Two years ago there weren't as many amenities for foreigners as I've noticed this trip, such as things written in English, Chinese, and Korean.

It's awesome Japan is trying to collect data and make new icons based on what foreigners, who may or may not share a common language, will find easiest to understand. Because the goal of the map icons is to help all people quickly and easily ascertain how and where things are, icons that require specific in-group knowledge are a barrier to this goal. Such as the difference between using the word "APPLE" or using a picture of an apple. The picture of an apple is going to be easier to understand, and won't require explaining/background cultural knowledge, while the written word is made up of symbols that require the person to have studied English. Just like how people could more easily understand the person tucked into a bed as meaning hotel, because people who are familiar with hotels/know what a hotel is/it's function, can then make the connection to the image representing that function, because they know what a hotel is, and it doesn't require them to know anything about Japan. While this is sad, because Japan is great, and fun to learn about in my opinion, the map signage is not there to educate people about Japan, it is there to help people navigate when they lack cultural knowledge and language skills. So when it comes to a swastika, its very interesting to know that it has a rich peaceful culture and history, but it also is tied to Nazi Germany. People have a cultural knowledge (in many places in the world), to Nazi Germany, so even if to some people it communicates a religious building, to others the swastika represents the oppression and death during the holocaust. Having information about the swastika in tourist pamphlets at temples is a good idea, but the symbol, for many people, will not clearly and quickly communicate how to find what they need, and may leave many people upset because for them it feels insensitive to Jewish people. A more graphically oriented icon can communicate much faster what is at the location than a symbol that requires an explanation/background information can.

So they're becoming more PC ? =_= they shoudln't change anything they should keep the culture the way it is

I really like your controversial topics on this channel, you make both sides very understandable. Great job Rachel!

ahhh im planning a trip for october and i was doing the airbnb listings and on the maps i noticed those symbols (especially the swastika looking one) and wondered what they meant

Honestly, what they really should do is print a "key" in one corner of the map, that lists the symbols and gives their meanings in English and a couple of other major languages. (If you really want to be inclusive, the same basic map could be printed in several versions, so e.g. you could have one with an English/Spanish/French key, with place names in romaji, one with a Russian/Ukranian key with place names in Cyrillic, one with an Arabic/Farsi/Urdu key with place names in the Arabic script, etc. This might be overkill: probably most people who travel overseas are sufficiently familiar with English to make do in a pinch.)

Even after I learned about the swastika, I saw it on my Indian friend's bracelet and I was surprised for a second, because I still can't help but think 'NAZIS!', but then I was like "Oh. Right."

The word swastika came from sanskrit and it mean to be good. The symbol has been used all over the world and in early 1900 was used as a symbol for the Finnish and Latvian airforces. Also in Scandinavia, it was associated with Thor.

Hi Rachel, I tend to agree with you concerning the symbol that is used in Japan as a religious symbol oh, I think it's a good way to change the view of this particular symbol. Also the education that you're sharing with the rest of us will be useful even for us who are not going to the Olympics. It never hurts to learn

地図上の記号変更は現象であって、レイチェルさんの前回の動画、マイクロ・アグレッションに通じる問題があるように思いました。快不快が正誤に関係なく意見として通る世の中になっているではないかと感じました。他人が不快なことを避けようとするのは当然ですが、それが行き過ぎると最終的には何もできない、何もしない方がいいとなってしまいます。

レイチェルさん、この話題を取り上げてくれてありがとう。 私も変えない方がいいと思います。古くからの歴史も意味もある記号なんですから、逆に誤解を解く機会としないと。

I admit I was confused when I first saw a swastika symbol on a map but it was a very long time ago and I asked about the reason for that immediately. After that I felt stupid... But I agree with you, it is kind of sad that they would have to change such an important symbol because of that, even if it would minimize the confusion for some tourists. It's a great idea of Japan to open up themselves for more foreigners but just as long as they remember to stay faithful to their own traditions and customs.

Swastika isn't 2000 years old...it was found in the archeological remains of the Indus Valley Civilization which is about 5500 to 8000 years old..

I agree with you on the swastika! This should be an opportunity for foreigners to learn about the real history of the swastika and its Buddhist connotations. To change it to something superficial like just the shape of the building seems to cheapen the significance of the temple itself.

As long as we talk about tourist stuff, I think it's absolutely okay to design those maps in a way that make them easier to undersstand for tourists. But I really hope, it will not influence the usage of symbols on other stuff. There are enough things that are "occupied" by the nazis, like the name Adolf or Chaplin-beards. Especially here in germany. It really makes me sick, that some people immediately think about nazis, for example when they see a Thors Hammer. The nazis don't deserve to own any symbols or something else from any culture. So we should not relinquish it to them.

Good for you for trying to educate folks. Many kudos to you for fighting an uphill battle.

Also the swastika was something nice in ancient western Asia too. Can’t remember what it was about, but it was on an old temple floor in Israel when I went there.

There are many cultures that have used this symbol for a long time, and it has gone by many names- even here in America, this was a very powerful and popular symbol with the Navajo people and many other Southwestern tribes, meant to represent good luck/ will, and peace. The problem is that it NO LONGER represents that to almost ANY foreigner, especially those with that prosecuted heritage, & thus even those tribes renounced it out of respect to the 11 million people who lost their lives. Entire groups of people lived in fear of it, the world lost entire cultures to it, and I don't really think it's fair for people who still end up getting chased around with it by people who wear it on their shirts at hate-rallies to have to have that initial fear in a place trying to make a good first impression. I'm not saying don't educate those who don't know, but if the point is Japan is making these changes to make foreigners worldwide to feel welcome, then I don't think this is the best time.