Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae. AFP/Yonhap
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is unlikely to visit the Yasukuni Shrine on the 15th, the anniversary of Japan’s World War II surrender and of Korea’s liberation from colonial rule, according to foreign media reports.
Takaichi is arranging her schedule so as not to visit the shrine in person on the 15th, Kyodo News and other outlets reported on the 12th.
The move is seen as reflecting concern that a visit to the shrine, regarded as a symbol of Japanese militarism, would not only damage relations with South Korea but also strain trilateral cooperation among Seoul, Washington and Tokyo. Analysts also said the decision takes into account diplomatic ties with neighboring countries, given that a strong backlash from China would be unavoidable.
Takaichi had previously visited the Yasukuni Shrine during the spring and autumn “reitaisai” seasonal festivals and on Aug. 15. During the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s leadership race last October, she had expressed her intention to visit the shrine after taking office as prime minister. Since becoming prime minister, however, she has stopped short of visiting in person, offering a ritual gift under her own name instead.
The Yasukuni Shrine honors some 2.466 million people who died in civil conflicts around the time of Japan’s Meiji Restoration and in the many wars Japan waged. Among them are Class-A war criminals from the Pacific War, including former Prime Minister Hideki Tojo, and neighboring countries such as South Korea and China have consistently objected to visits by Japanese political leaders.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara, the Japanese government’s spokesperson, was asked at a press conference on the 7th whether Takaichi and he himself would visit the shrine or offer ritual gifts. He said it was a matter for the prime minister to judge appropriately herself, and that the same applied to him.