KB, I am sorry to say I still find it somewhat disturbing to see their flag. (Wish they'd change it.) It brings back thoughts of such a devastating, hard, time. I don't have anywhere near the same reaction to Germany's flag; possibly because Hitler was so identified with his Nazi flag and that went into great disfavor and disuse in Germany after WW2.
Interesting, Gretchen. I had the same thought seeing the US flag and the red-dot Japanese flag together. Japan is a good friend and ally, but it's understandable that it would still elicit a cringe from Americans. Can you imagine West Germany keeping the swastika after the fall of Hitler?
You know what bothered me? -- Visiting Pearl Harbor about ten years ago, and seeing all the Japanese tourists snapping pictures of the memorials to the sunken ships and lost crews. Maybe it shouldn't bother me, because the war is now a couple of generations past, but it still did. Forgiveness is easier than forgetting. I suppose, in a sense, we should never forget.
To me it is the German eagle and national anthem that I find uncomfortable
The red circle which looks familiar to you was the mark on their airplanes...much as we have a design with our colors on many planes but no actual flag.
After WWII the flag was modified toget rid of the rising sun representation, which was too much associated with the Japanese military of WWII.
So when you see the present flag, you should realize this isn't the one our troops saw during the war.