Eastern societies are not western societies, I was speaking about western societies. Nazi Germany was a much greater influence in the west, the east was more dominated by Imperial Japan. The atrocities they faced weren't associated with the swastika, so they didn't really have a reason to give it up. The atrocities they faced were associated with the Rising Sun flag, which is stigmatized throughout Asia.
It's not really that we let the assholes ruin good things, it's just that they did. We can try to pretend they didn't, but then we just look like a Shcrödinger's Asshole blowing dog whistles. It's not true, it's not fair, but it is what it is.