An unveiling ceremony was held in Khabarovsk, Russia's Far East, for a statue commemorating victory over Japan, and Japan is calling for the removal of a border marker engraved with a chrysanthemum crest.
On 4 September, an unveiling ceremony was held in Khabarovsk, Russia's Far East, for a memorial complex including a Soviet soldier statue commemorating victory over Japan and the end of World War II.
The statue is approximately 15 meters tall and is known as “Ivan” among local residents. It was modeled on a boundary marker installed at the northern and southern borders of Sakhalin and bears a chrysanthemum crest.
The Russian side claims that the chrysanthemum crest is a symbol of Japanese militarism. The Japanese Consulate-General, meanwhile, says the chrysanthemum is Japan's national flower and is regarded as a symbol of the Emperor and the Imperial Family, and is calling for the marker's removal.