Abe sends ritual offering to Yasukuni shrine

bearing his name as prime minister

Why? If he has to do it why not as a private citizen?

If he has to do it why not as a private citizen?

Because he wants to please his right wing friends.

Didn't he JUST SAY it was time to move on from focusing on the past? What a tiresome little mountebank.

http://www.japantoday.com/category/politics/view/japan-china-must-move-on-from-excessive-focus-on-past-abe

I wonder if sending Akie would've stirred the pot.

Who would trust the leaders who do not pay respect to the people who fought for the country?

Abe sends ritual offering to Yasukuni shrine

And this is meant to be surprising? We always knew that if he couldn't send his wife, he'd send a plant instead

If Abe were indeed interested in peace, he should also honor those millions slaughtered by the Japanese imperial army.

how about Ms. Merkel ..

Ms. Merkel or Germany is not Japan's constitution.

Iriot!

satisfy his right-wing buddies?

Do you think lots of lots of Japanese people who go pray for the souls are there to satisfy the right-wing?

By the way, in Japan right-wing, Uyoku, is considered as a criminal group.

Japan is an independent country. China and Korea are going too far.

"If Abe were indeed interested in peace, he should also honor those millions slaughtered by the Japanese imperial army."

@Crazy Joe. That is an excellent idea. Perhaps if Abe woud make an offering to a shrine dedicated to those killed by Japanese as well as those Japanese who were killed I think the world would believe his stance that Yasukuni is similar to Arlington.

Memo to Abe; big chance to win a Nobel Peace Prize staring you in the face,sir! Go to Korea and China, pay your respects at a shrine dedicated to those hurt by Japan and watch the world warm to some of your ideas.

Tinawatanabe: "Do you think lots of lots of Japanese people who go pray for the souls are there to satisfy the right-wing?

By the way, in Japan right-wing, Uyoku, is considered as a criminal group."

BS! If they were criminals, Abe would be behind bars -- or wait... This is Japan. In any case, thy are not illegal, and their crimes not punished.

Anyway, I and others called this yesterday when he said he would not visit, and also when he said, "We need to forget the past!" yet, here he is, the hypocrite as usual. It's no wonder his "apologies" are insincere.

the hypocrite as usual. It's no wonder his "apologies" are insincere

So, all the people who go to the shrine are hypocrite and insincere and criminals, and your country people including yourself are not criminals not hypocrite and not insincere. What a great country no wonder they keep complaining everything everyday.

I think that the whole criticism of the Yasukuni shrine can be explained at least partially by simple cultural ignorance. I know from sociology of the family that the basic principle of a traditional Japanese family is to perpetuate their ancestors, but that's not a global standard. There is a norm that exist let's say in most of Europe that infamous people should not be praised in any way, regardless their power or symbolic status. The sole fact of perpetuating ancestors is considered something non-obligatory and eccentric in a way. China on the other hand has turned against their own traditions when it adapted communism.

Another thing is the role of a male in a traditional Japanese family. That seemingly irrelevant fact leads me to believe that if Mr Abe is not going to go to Yasukuni himself, he will tell another family member to do so (or some fellow politicians, "lawmakers").

Abe still seems to be unaware of the perception of his actions. He probably sees it as the best thing a Japanese person can do in his position, while completely ignoring international politics.

My personal opinion is that he should make a grand gesture towards countries that are biased against Japan in general. There is still an infamous place called Mimizuka - "The Nose Mound" which is very well known to Korean people. It was a war trophy created during the Japanese invasion of Korea in the late 16th century. Why can't the Japanese government just dismantle the site and send the remnants to Korea where they belong? It would mean metaphorically that Japan is able to understand that Korea is an independent country and should stay that way. Sadly, knowing the reality I would say that even if it would be a significant act of reconciliation, it won't happen. Especially when there used to be a plaque in that place with an unfeeling comment that said "One cannot say that cutting off noses was so atrocious by the standard of the time." On such grounds, every war crime ever is justified because the blurry idea of "standards of time".

Yasukuni Shrine is a very weird place.

You can see lots of weird Japanese people there almost every weekend.

I feel sorry for Japanese people.

They have somehow made this place into a circus.

@choiwaruoyaji

How weird?

tinawatanabe: "So, all the people who go to the shrine are hypocrite and insincere and criminals"

Where did I say that, tina? Try to get your quotations straight before you tell people what they think or say. You already always say you speak for all of the people of Japan. I said Abe is a hypocrite and insincere, and YOU said the Uyoku are criminals, thank you very much. I said the crimes they commit (not all, but many do) go unpunished.

So, all the people who go to the shrine are hypocrite and insincere and criminals, and your country people including yourself are not criminals not hypocrite and not insincere. What a great country no wonder they keep complaining everything everyday.

If you can't challenge someone else's opinion without misrepresenting it, you really shouldn't bother.

Abe is the death of Japan, only concerned with pride and lining the pockets of his corporate sponsors.

The spirit of the war dead, 2,466,584 men, women and children who served Japan are enshrined at Yasukuni Shrine originated from Boshin War (1868-69) .

In 1979, Asahi Shinbun (leftist tendency) inflamed the controversy to the neighboring countries reporting that 1,068 (0.043% out of all) war criminals were also enshrined there. Since then, the majority of the dead have been facing the threat of being neglected by the top leaders.

I would be pleased and consoled with the visit by a top leader of a nation if I had served my nation as a soldier and become a victim as a war dead.

The notorious Asahi Shinbun is the source of the controversy.

I think Mr Abe will bowing and praying in shinto way from his office table in the direction facing the Yasukuni shrine or near the window from his bedroom in the autumn festival although it is unconvenience for him to get there directly.

I like going there because I know it will piss off leftists, Chinese Communists and all "you" others with a big chip on your shoulders. As the son of a WWII US Army vetern, I go there and pray for the deceased.

The notorious Asahi Shinbun is the source of the controversy.

Sakura3110,

INCORRECT it all started when the WAR CRIMINALS were SECRETLY enshrined, and after that j-politicians regularly going there are ensuring Japan will be hated by its neighbours & the rest of the world continues to shake its head in collective dis-belief as Japan continues to make itself look like a fool!

The very last soul enshrined (recently) was Yosuke Matsuoka who was father-in-law of Abe's Grand Uncle.

@elephant What is shinto way? Kamidana Is near ceiling. Research first to redicule him. Especially structure of Japanese house. Window of bedroom? Sound like a peeking Tom writing his wish list of Japanese house.

@GW

INCORRECT it all started when the WAR CRIMINALS were SECRETLY enshrined

How did it start when it was a secret? I'd like to correct as following the controversy started in1985, and there had been no criticism against the visits by premiers such as Suzuki and Miki since 1979 when Asahi Simbun revealed the fact.

Before Nakasone's official visit to Yasukuni Shrine ( planned on Aug.15) , Asahi Shimbun carried an article on Aug. 7, saying that China was "looking hard at Japan's behavior" regarding the Yasukuni issue.

China's People's Daily, for its part, reported on Aug. 11 about movements within Japan that was critical of the prime minister's visit to Yasukuni.

The movements against the premier's visit to the shrine were thus launched in Japan and China.

Those ultranationalists, especially the pro-Yasukuni ones, are full of nonsense.

The hits keep right on coming. Japan will simply never learn

How weird?

@Serrano

Check out these clowns at the circus:

https://gbengaaborowa.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/yasukuni-shrine-9o4.jpg"

You can see Japanese guys like this at Yasukuni shrine almost every weekend.

The Japanese have some allowed this place to become a WW2 cosplayers paradise.

It's a very weird place and attracts weird Japanese people.

Very sad.

Before `1945, military govt proudly revealed any atrocity. Proudly. How they make useless women to war purpose ... so and so place shinryaku, gyakusatsu, shi no koushin. Asahi etc just wrote military commanded to write. People? Kept mouth shut to be alive. Kenpei would caught big mouth people and they were killed as communist

@hoiwaruoyajiOCT. 17, 2015 - 06:27PM JST Yasukuni Shrine is a very weird place.

You can see lots of weird Japanese people there almost every weekend.

I feel sorry for Japanese people.

They have somehow made this place into a circus.

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Write something you learned about Yasukuni. Your writing is distorting intention of other writers who sincerely poinyind out Japan's past. I have been pacifist but I decided not mingle w insulter who write we are weird. Are you trying to tr;; you are not weird?

Sooner or later in a coming future after the abolishment of article9, a long list of Self defense force memebers will be sent to that Yasukuni shrine and there will be no more a funny place everyweek cosplay of militias.

@elephanr. Now I know you never went Yasukuni. link waruoyaji wrote above/ he goes there weekend and he is on pic as weird gaijin. You did not know place is too small but this your writing is better than your peeking Tom wish list of Japanese house.

Abe donated a sacred “masakaki” tree bearing his name as prime minister to coincide with the start of the four-day autumn festival at the shrine in central Tokyo, a shrine official said.

Gee... if only there were some way to know if his WWII anniversary apology was sincere...

elephant200: "Sooner or later in a coming future after the abolishment of article9, a long list of Self defense force memebers will be sent to that Yasukuni shrine and there will be no more a funny place everyweek cosplay of militias."

Given the bent of your posts it sounds like you are looking forward to it being 'not a funny place every week' more than you are thinking about the lives it will cost to make it even more of a place to be ashamed of.

I believe it is way past overtime! The 2nd World War Has been over for 70 years, the Prime Minister wasn't even born, if he wants to visit this Shrine so what, let him go and visit this Place!

canadianbento OCT. 18, 2015 - 01:23PM JST I believe it is way past overtime! The 2nd World War Has been over for 70 years, the Prime Minister wasn't even born, if he wants to visit this Shrine so what, let him go and visit this Place!

Maybe millions of Japanese citizens still believe in what Abe and 125+ of these Japan lawmakers who goes to Yasukuni support for the past action by their military. In 1937 Japanese soldiers systematically raped, tortured and murdered estimated more than 200000 - 300,000 civilians. This was more than killed in the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined, and more than the combined civilian losses of Britain, France and Belgium in the whole of WWII.

Chinese men were used for bayonet practice and in decapitation contests and many thousands women were raped. Many Japanese soldiers went beyond rape to disembowel women, slice off their breasts, nail them alive to walls. Fathers were forced to rape their daughters, and sons their mothers, as other family members watched. Not only did live burials, castration, the carving of organs, and the roasting of people become routine, but more diabolical tortures were practiced. So sickening was the spectacle that even the Nazis in the city were horrified. No wonder these lawmakers still go to Yasukuni.

The real message of the war criminals being enshrined at Yakasuni is that no matter what you do, no matter how much suffering you inflict, if you have Japanese blood in your veins you are ok. On the other hand if you are foreigner, no matter how much they have suffered it is not important, you are not Japanese. Considering the suffering inflicted on neighboring Asian countries by Japan is it so hard to call them the 'invasions' that they are rather than 'advances'? If Hiroshima and Nagasaki are crimes then surely Japan's wartime actions are also crimes, why is it so easy for Japanese people to acknowledge A-bomb victims and so hard t acknowledge Asian victims of Japan's wartime aggression? Simple, The A-bomb victims were Japanese and therefore important and the others were foreign and therefore less than human and unimportant. That is the underlying fact that is hard to move beyond that for Japan.

Nippon Kaigi members are expected amongst other things to visit the Yasukuni Shrine. KKK members are expected to follow their ideals and Neo-Nazis too. Mr Obama is not a member of the KKK and Frau Merkel is not a member of any Neo-Nazi organization but Mr Abe is a member of Nippon Kaigi.

@elephant200OCT. 18, 2015 - 06:41AM JST Sooner or later in a coming future after the abolishment of article9, a long list of Self defense force memebers will be sent to that Yasukuni shrine and there will be no more a funny place everyweek cosplay of militias.

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@elephant: Yasuluni is not large enough to accomodate your wish of SDF troops. Do some study about Y. you are writing out if dated A 9 talk.

Chinese men were used for bayonet practice and in decapitation contests and many thousands women were raped. Many Japanese soldiers went beyond rape to disembowel women, slice off their breasts, nail them alive to walls. Fathers were forced to rape their daughters, and sons their mothers, as other family members watched. Not only did live burials, castration, the carving of organs, and the roasting of people become routine, but more diabolical tortures were practiced. So sickening was the spectacle that even the Nazis in the city were horrified. No wonder these lawmakers still go to Yasukuni.

This, so much. The subject of comfort women is still a hot button. Watch any Korean news outlet and you will see it over and over again, survivors now in their 90's pleading for a sign of contrition on Japan's part for what they suffered at the hands of the Imperial Army and time and time again they are systematically ignored. How can Japan possibly have an actual dialogue with its neighbors with an attitude like this? True, Korea is now a free and independent country but it is impossible to just forget all the horrors it had to endure. This whole deal with the shrine goes much, much deeper than simply paying the respects for the felled in war, it is a celebration of war criminals who gleefuly murdered untold numbers of people. That it was all done in the name of Japan and the Emperor does not make them 'patriotic', it makes them criminals motivated mostly by nationalistic ideals.

For those who say that the war was a long time ago, that only means that over decades Japan has missed the opportunity of owning up to its horrendous crimes. The inhuman levels of depravity to which the Japanese Imperial Army stooped too was such that to this day it remains one of the worst cases of human rights' abuse ever known.

sfjp330 & nocturnalux

VERY WELL PUT!

Sadly Japan will continue to deny & send its own people & country on a downwards spiral that we are all watching & for WHAT!

@GW ''''' It was not secret when names of 14 who received guilty verdict at Tokyo trial and their head were hang in 1945 were enshrined many years later..

Some sakaki in pots were under placard that were written in huge kanjis that says what kind of group of elected official brought sakaki ubderneath, he probably wrote Shu and Sho, 2 kanji letters.