As I was walking my usual route to the train station this morning, I spotted this at a small street-corner temple. You'll notice that it is a backwards version of the Nazi Swastika. This symbol that the Nazis manipulated actually comes from China. While not used in Japanese writing, this character will occasionally adorn signs or buildings in a purely as decoration. Certain Jewish social groups protest in Japan (and other Asian countries) against the use of this decorative symbol due to its proximity to the Nazi insignia.