Newcastle remove scene which may ‘inadvertently cause offence' from kit launch video
The club were promoting their new blue and orange third kit for 2025-26 on Tuesday, with a version of the flag appearing briefly in Newcastle's black-and-white colours, alongside a club crest and 'NUFC Japan' in its centre.
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The video included a Newcastle supporter who had been flown in from Japan for the kit launch.
The original version of the flag, also known as the Rising Sun Flag, consists of a red disc from which sixteen red rays emanate on a white background.
In the 19th century, the flag was adapted by the Imperial Japanese Army and the Imperial Japanese Navy, and it remains associated with Japan's defence forces and navy, while it is also present in Japanese culture. However, the symbolism remains controversial in several countries — including China, South Korea, North Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and Russia — due to its connotations with Japanese imperialism and militarism.
The reaction to our new third kit with adidas has been special, but the launch video contained a scene that could inadvertently cause offence. We apologise for that. We've removed the scene from the film to make sure that as many fans as possible can enjoy it.
— Newcastle United (@NUFC) July 1, 2025
Newcastle are travelling to Singapore and South Korea for a pre-season tour later this month for matches against Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, among others.
A Newcastle spokesperson has said: 'We have been alerted to the appearance of a flag in our recent third kit launch video that could inadvertently cause offence.
'In response, we immediately removed the video from circulation and have taken steps to edit the visual from all future content. We sincerely apologise for any offence caused.'
Newcastle subsequently posted up an edited version of the video without the appearance of the flag.
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