The swastika-like symbol is a centuries-old Japanese Buddhist symbol.
An Omote Manji ( left-facing, representing representing love and mercy) at Sens?-ji Temple, Tokyo Photo: Alamy
Omote manji ( left-facing, representing representing love and mercy) on Saisen box, Sens?-ji Temple, Tokyo, Japan Photo: Alamy https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/12105102/Japan-to-remove-swastikas-from-maps-as-tourists-think-they-are-Nazi-symbols.html
Japan to remove swastikas from maps as tourists 'think they are Nazi symbols'
The ancient Sanskrit symbol which marks temples on Japanese maps continues to
spread confusion among Western visitors.
The new chizukigou (icons) have a new symbol for the temple
It has prompted the country's tourism authorities to announce plans to update their maps, replacing the swastika with a more conventional image of a three-tiered pagoda.
But the proposals have prompted outrage in some quarters, with one Japanese academic calling for tourists to be better informed about the history of the countries they visit.
"We have been using this symbol for thousands of years before it was incorporated into the Nazi flag, so I believe it would be better for us to keep it on our maps and ask others to understand its true meaning", Makoto Watanabe, a communications expert at Hokkaido Bunkyo University, told The Telegraph.
"I think it would serve a good purpose if people from abroad see the symbol, ask what it means and where it originated.
"That might help to get rid of some of the negative impressions
associated with the 'manji'," he added, referring to the Japanese term
for the symbol.
Ura Manji (right-facing, representing strength and intelligence) on a Buddhist temple in Vietnam Photo: Alamy
A swastika which faces left has also long been used to mark the location of a Buddhist temple.
The swastika-like symbol is a centuries-old Japanese Buddhist symbol.
(ullstein bild/ullstein bild via Getty Images) http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/japan-remove-swastikas-tourist-maps-article-1.2503335
Swastika of Buddhism
The word swastika come from the Sanskrit and it means “that which is associated with well-being.” Its meaning is one of luck, well-being.
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