According to polls conducted by mainstream media, most Japanese people had perceived the flag of Japan as the national flag even before the passage of the "Law Regarding the National Flag and National Anthem" in 1999. Despite this, controversies surrounding the use of the flag in school events or media still remain. For example, liberal newspapers such as "Asahi Shimbun" and "Mainichi Shimbun" often feature articles critical of the flag of Japan, reflecting their readerships' political spectrum. To other Japanese, the flag represents the time where democracy was suppressed when Japan was an empire.