The act of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida making ritual offerings to Tokyo’s controversial Yasukuni Shrine on Tuesday has raised concerns in China and South Korea due to its association with Japan’s historical imperialist aggression.
Earlier on that day, as Japan marked the 78th anniversary of the end of World War II, Kishida chose to send a “masakaki” offering to the shrine instead of visiting it in person, according to a report by Kyodo News Agency. Simultaneously, he laid flowers at the nearby Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery.
During a solemn ceremony, Kishida expressed Japan’s commitment to avoiding a repetition of the wartime tragedy, a sentiment he reportedly echoed from his previous year’s speech. Notably, three current and former Cabinet ministers did visit the shrine: Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi, former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, and former Trade and Industry Minister Koichi Hagiuda.
Yasukuni Shrine remains a contentious issue due to its inclusion of convicted war criminals among its enshrined 2.5 million war dead.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry voiced its “deep disappointment and regret” over Kishida’s offering and the lawmakers’ shrine visit, emphasizing that the shrine glorifies Japan’s past aggressive wars and honors war criminals. The ministry called for Japanese figures to face history earnestly, exhibit genuine remorse, and undertake sincere reflection.
Historical tensions stem from Japan’s colonization of the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945, straining relations between the two countries. However, these relations have been gradually improving, with South Korea suggesting a potential resolution to a longstanding dispute regarding wartime labor compensation earlier this year.
China also expressed its dissatisfaction, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin characterizing the gesture as a “negative move” reflecting Japan’s misguided historical perspective. Wang conveyed that China had conveyed strong grievances to Japan and emphasized that confronting the history of aggression and deeply reflecting on it remains a fundamental requirement for Japan to normalize post-war relations with its Asian neighbors.
China still harbors profound resentment over Japan’s aggression, particularly during the brutal start of the 1937-1945 Second Sino-Japanese War, which included the infamous Rape of Nanking. China’s ruling Communist Party derives a substantial part of its legitimacy from opposing the invaders and employs the memory of this conflict as diplomatic leverage against Tokyo, despite their close trade ties.
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