Keyakizaka46 “Nazi” Uniforms Force Sony Apology

Keyakizaka46 (a sister idol group of Nogizaka46) have been at the center of a storm of criticism for their “Halloween” costumes they wore not too long ago, with the “inexcusable” offense being the costume’s distinct resemblance to Nazi attire – mustering so much opprobrium that Sony issued an apology in order to quell the masses.

The blissfully unaware idols had donned the chic military outfits (NDSAP uniforms enjoyed the attentions of Hugo Boss as a designer, although the group’s ensemble appear to be originals) during their “Perfect Halloween” concert held at Yokohama Arena, promptly causing sensitive snowflakes to rush onto Twitter and give voice to their opinions as to how offensive the seemingly “Nazi-inspired” apparel was.

Sony’s official apology, which was available in both Japanese and English:

Thank you for your continued support of Keyakizaka46.

We have received inquiries and comments pointing out the similarities between the costumes worn by Keyakizaka46 at a Halloween event on October 22, and Nazi-style uniforms. Although it was not meant to carry any ideological meaning whatsoever, we deeply regret and apologize for the distress it has caused all people concerned. The costumes in question shall not be used again, under any circumstances.

All of the input that we have received will be taken under careful advisement, and we will do our utmost to ensure that no incident of its kind recurs in the future. Once again, we sincerely apologize for this insensitivity.

While the uniforms do indeed look similar (as do many retro outfits of that era), the swastika was at least absent, perhaps supporting the idea that a Nazi cosplay was not the costume’s original intent.