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The story
On October 30, the Japanese Red Cross Society used its official X (formerly Twitter) account to warn that the “Red Cross mark” often seen on Halloween costume nurse outfits and first-aid boxes is being used incorrectly. The society explained that the Red Cross mark is internationally protected as a symbol marking people and facilities exempt from attack during war or conflict, and that only legally designated organizations are allowed to use it. The announcement sparked discussion on 5ch, ranging from the story of singer Shiina Ringo being called out for something similar in the past, to the difference between the red cross and the green cross used on medicine boxes, to just how far the mark can be used in cosplay.
Fri, Oct 30, 8:45 PM
On the 30th, the Japanese Red Cross Society’s official X account issued a warning ahead of the upcoming Halloween about the use of “a certain mark.”
The post read: “Tomorrow is Halloween — that #RedCrossMark you see on costume nurse outfits is actually being used the wrong way,” and explained, “The Red Cross mark is a symbol indicating something that must not be attacked during war or conflict. In principle, it can only be used by legally designated organizations such as the Red Cross.” It further stated via an image, “The Red Cross mark must not be used to represent medical institutions such as nurse outfits, medicine boxes, or hospitals,” presenting cross marks found on “nurse caps” and “medicine boxes” as examples of improper use.
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
That was just a Help Mark knockoff though — did she actually use the Red Cross mark?
I checked the "Honnou" music video and it's actually a white cross, not a red one.
In Jun Togawa's "Suki Suki Daisuki" video, which is said to be the original source for the nurse-outfit look, it's a red X instead.
Most people probably have no idea about that.
Well, these guys are just saying whatever they feel like.
so what's the harm?
The West doesn't make this much fuss about it, does it?
It's probably just Japan where idiots go on about "but the law says—" lol
What crime are you even supposedly committing by wearing a cross on a nurse cosplay, dumbass lol
Foreigners are actually piling on hard in the comments of nurse-cosplay shop ads,
so why do people keep claiming "the West doesn't care," when they clearly know nothing about the West and are just making it up?
That one stands for AIDS (awareness).
. ∧-ー-∧
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All good! / ，i ､ ，i ､ヽ
i 三 ､_,､_, 三 }⌒ヽ
r＝ｭ ＞ _ヽﾉ__ノ ﾍ,,ﾉ
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(kaomoji of the "all-clear inspector" meme giving a thumbs-up)
Don't bring up something dumb like battlefields — think about someone with a visual impairment who might be standing right there.
Though I feel like "oh sorry, I'm not one of those" would probably settle it.
Like I keep sayiiing —
the "protection" only applies to actual battlefields and emergency scenes
(meaning unrelated people in those settings can't slap the mark on their clothes or vehicles).
There's nothing wrong with a nurse at a cosplay event, or a student playing a nurse in a school play, clearly wearing a cross mark for recognition,
or sticking a clear cross-mark sticker on the family medicine box.
The issue is wearing that outfit out in public, though.
Actually, putting it on medicine boxes isn't allowed either, strictly speaking. That's why proper companies' older medicine boxes use a green cross mark instead. If you spot a red-cross one in online shops these days, that's probably a violation.
https://www.news-postseven.com/uploads/2022/11/01/Halloween_16-500×750.jpg
Dressing a young soldier up as a woman to fake a shipwreck, then ambushing the enemy ship that came close to help — the Japanese Navy really wasn't picky about its methods.
It's obvious to anyone that there's no intent to deceive through a costume.
Even ignorant people think the exact same thing.
Israel:
"It's just a costume dressed as the Red Cross, so no problem!"
https://img.amiami.jp/images/product/main/193/FIGURE-052734.jpg
Isn't that a pretty low-res take on cosplay?
Yamaguchi Red Cross Hospital's mascot, Yama-Kuro:
https://www.yamaguchi-redcross.jp/images/p100-syunen/top-yamakuro.png
In reality they don't wear it except during disaster-relief deployments anyway,
and nurse caps aren't even used much these days.
https://gzo.ai/i/LylDDT4.jpg
Well, back in the day even Brocken Jr. (the pro-wrestling character from Kinnikuman with the controversial cross emblem) got a pass, so…
Background and points of debate
The Red Cross emblem is an internationally recognized symbol under the 1949 Geneva Conventions, meant to exempt medical personnel and facilities from attack during wartime. In Japan, the “Act on Restriction of Use of the Red Cross Emblem and Names” bans anyone other than designated organizations, such as the Japanese Red Cross Society, from using it. The restriction applies specifically to defined color schemes and shapes — like a red cross on a white background — meaning the green cross (a workplace-safety symbol) or designs that merely resemble it are not covered, a point that was often misunderstood in the thread. The debate largely came down to a gap between the letter of the law and the gut feeling that “it’s overkill when we’re not even on a battlefield,” with many commenters unaware that use on medicine boxes has long been considered a violation as well.
*This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary of the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “Red Cross Society issues warning ahead of Halloween: “The Red Cross mark seen on costume nurse outfits must not be used” — SNS reacts: “I had no idea”.”
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