Japanese V-Sign

Danny Choo is a guestblogger on Boing Boing. Danny resides in Tokyo, and blogs about life in Japan and Japanese subculture - he also works part time for the empire.

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So why exactly do most Japanese folk do the V-sign when having their photos taken? According to Wikipedia, the earliest confirmed usage of the V-sign was by Winston Churchil during World War II - the V-sign meaning "Victory." The Japanese Wikipedia for the entry Peace Sign however says that there is a theory that the two fingers mean that two nuclear bombs where dropped on Japan meaning that peace is near...

During the 1972 Winter Olympics in Japan, skater Janet Lynn (who was also a peace activist) was photographed by the Japanese media doing the V-sign. Although the V-sign was already recognized in Japan, it was apparently these photos of Lynn that popularized the use of the V-sign.

The Japanese entry in Wikipedia does not mention Lynn at all and instead says that the V-sign took off in the 80's when usage of the V-sign was used when kids were having their photos taken.

A few more pics of Japanese folks doing the V-sign in my previous Japanese V Sign and Seijin Shiki articles.

dannychoo, japan, peace

[#1 posted by macisaguy , February 16, 2009 9:23 AM]

The V-sign is also insanely popular and completely common in China.

[#2 posted by adamstjohn , February 16, 2009 9:46 AM]

Taiwan too...

[#3 posted by soubriquet , February 16, 2009 9:48 AM]

The V sign was definitely "V for Victory" in Britain, and in occupied europe, where it became a 'secret' sign, denoting support for the allies, against the axis powers.It had nothing to do with peace, during the second world war.
However, during the late sixties in both europe and America, it was adopted by the youth culture as a symbol taken to mean peace and harmony.
The "two atom bombs" meaning in Japan is totally new to me.
Inverted, with the back of the hand shown, it is a very insulting gesture in Britain, said to date back, perhaps as far as the Roman occupation.

[#4 posted by Simon Cameron , February 16, 2009 9:52 AM]

"however says that there is a theory that the two fingers mean that two nuclear bombs where dropped on Japan meaning that peace is near..."

This seems like an odd way to represent peace/

[#5 posted by jksk , February 16, 2009 9:55 AM]

It's also common in southeast Asia.

So, assuming it is in fact common in Asia (and not just fluke anecdotal evidence), is it due to japanese influence or something else, a common cultural factor? A common factor would likely invalidate the japanese theory mentioned above. It seems unlikely that its popularity would stem from different, independent sources.

[#6 posted by Nores , February 16, 2009 10:03 AM]

Huh. If only there were Asian people we could ask...

[#7 posted by Mojave , February 16, 2009 10:04 AM]

Anyone else getting sick of all this Japanese stuff? Or is it just me.....?

Don't get me wrong, I like the land of the rising sun as much as the next guy, but stretch it out a little bit.