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Yasukuni Shrine

Embassy in Beijing warns Japanese nationals over Yasukuni backlash

Monday, October 17, 2005 at 11:25 JST
BEIJING - The Japanese Embassy in Beijing issued a warning Monday to Japanese nationals in China about possible "strong reactions" from the Chinese public following Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine.

© 2005 Kyodo News. All rights reserved.https://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=1&id=352309

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London Financial Times
Tokyo gains checked by war shrine visit
By David Turner in Tokyo
Published: October 17 2005 05:23 | Last updated: October 17 2005 05:23
Mr Koizumi's visit to Yasukuni worried some investors because Asian countries such as China regard such visits as a sign that the Tokyo government is not yet sufficiently contrite about past war crimes in their countries.https://news.ft.com/cms/s/92659c90-3ec5-11d...000e2511c8.html

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Koizumi makes fifth visit to Yasukuni

10/17/2005

The Asahi Shimbun

In a move that will likely lead to stronger criticism from both abroad and within Japan, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on Monday made his fifth visit to Yasukuni Shrine.

The visit marks the fifth straight year Koizumi has visited the shrine where 14 Class-A war criminals are memorialized. His last visit was on New Year's Day in 2004.

The leaders of China and South Korea repeatedly called on Koizumi to refrain from visiting Yasukuni this year, the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. However, Koizumi never came out and said he would not visit, only repeatedly saying that he would take appropriate measures.

https://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/...0510170164.html

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This is kind of disturbing... The PM of Japan praying at a shrine for war criminals? sounds like trouble is brewing!

Shrine Yasukuni

It is a sure fire bet that this is perceived that he doesn't feel the war criminals were in the wrong, that they are somehow hero's despite what they did. It shows bad form on his part to continue to visit the shrine publicly year after year. The fact that he does it knowing what everyone else thinks of it is not a very diplomatic move on his part or on the part of Japan. I hope that those around him will get through to him to stop this, it could cause some very bad problems with his and Japans international standing.

Yasukuni Shrine History & Civil Business Politics

I have just read a quick summary of the shrine.

It is a Shinto temple, which is a memorial for over 2.5 million people who have died in Japan's wars. Within that overall number, there are 14 people who are identified as war criminals.l

The uproar about the prime minister visiting it because of the 14 is obviously an attempt to create something out of nothing. Even if he did want to honor the 14, in disregard of the 2.5 million others, that shouldn't make a difference.

However, there has been an uproar every year since 1975, although the 14 weren't enshrined until 1978.

Within Japan, it appears that the uproar is because the prime minister, as representative of the government, shouldn't be visiting religious sites. You know, separation of church and state.

To me, that is just stupid. The guy is honoring those who have died for their country. It started as a shrine for those who died in the Meiji Restoration. Since then, it has grown. Why can't a public official honor such people?

Take a look at these sites:
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2321.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yasukuni_Shrine

Shrine Yasukuni

Thank you for that important information, Nighthawk. It puts a very different light on the PM's visits to the shrine.

Interesting that Japan would choose to enshrine the war criminals in the same place with 2.5 million others. I wonder what that motivation is?

Shrine Yasukuni

I read some more after I posted earlier. It isn't "Japan" who enshrines these people, it is the Shinto priests. I think it is at the request of interested parties.

This is a private Shinto shrine, not a nationally sanctioned, government funded project. So, when people cry and whine about the PM visiting it, I think they are really out of line.

However, I do understand the objections of the Chinese, Koreans, and other SE Asian countries, as the vast majority of the souls enshrined there died in Japanese wars of aggression.

The wikipedia entry is very interesting as it lists all the wars that are honored in the shrine.