Abe wants to explain Yasukuni visit to China, S Korea

People say it's been a few years since the last PM (Koizumi) visited Yasukuni, but it didn't stop China and SK from complaining.

That's true, but what about the mass visits to Yasukuni by 160 lawmakers last year?

Why can't they visit privately, rather than make a show of it by organising reporters to be present and film every moment of it?

If Japan is serious about reconciliation, they need to stop visiting Yasukuni to make a political statement. If they went privately/individually, nobody would recognise them and will not provoke China and SK.

This is another big lie from Abe.

No explanation is needed and just do an easy solution… if Abe and his supports in Japan (who is now the majority as determined by votes) really want to take this problem off the diplomatic table.

The solution is… as suggested unsuccessfully before by Japanese legislators… to remove the names of these convicted Class-A War Criminals (symbols of WW2 Fascist Japan) out from this historic shrine. So this will not be front and center in Japanese international relationship with her key neighbors.

Then, Abe (and any other Japanese politician) can pay tribute there everyday and nobody can complain… and no explanation needed.

honey

Why do you think money is an apology or resolves all problem

I never said that.

Charity starts at home. Yasukuni is not representative of all Japanese who gave up their life because of military turmoil, e.g., assassinated Prime Minister Tuyoshi Inukai, and Korekiyo Takahashi. Tuyoshi Inukai was assassinated for following the Emperor Hirohito's edict not to expand the war in China. Those who are responsible for their assasination may be enshrined in Yasukuni, but they are not. Yasukuni is not a well balanced way to respect the totality of Japanese death in service to the country.

They should simply enshrine the war criminals elsewhere, thus turning Yasukuni into the equivalent of Arlington, and not the militaristic shrine that it currently is

A Thought about Yasukuni:

The politicians who persist in visiting Yasukuni Shrine say they visit it to pay respect to the war dead who sacrificed their life for the benefit of the nation. House of Councilors Lawmaker Aiko Shimajiri (LDP-Okinawa) answered to a reporter's question that she had visited the shrine to pray to the souls for their sacrifice, making themselves a foundation of the nation's development and prosperity of today

It's very natural and humane to pay respect to the war dead estimated at 2.3 million. The problem, however, is how and in what spirit they are paid respect to. Would they rest in peace by simply hearing thanking words for the way they fought the war and by being told it was a righteous war and that choosing death, rather than being captured as POWs, was a sublime act as soldiers? How many of them chose death over life because of that strict military code of conduct?

Paying respect to the war dead must be based on sincere repentance and compunction on the part of the living, for most of them lost their life due to the mistaken national policy or, to say more directly, by being deceived by the state. It's profane and sacrilegious simply to say "thank you" to them. Therefore, Yasukuni Shrine, a memorial honoring the war dead, must be rejected as an institution at which to pray to the war dead.

It should be done more so in view of the fact that the wartime leaders are enshrined there, too, who were responsible for pushing the nation into complete ruin and inflicting enormous damage and devastation on neighboring countries.

Can Abe refute this argument and have foreign nationals, especially Chinese and South Korean, understand his cae?

Well, there are over 1000 war criminals interned there, so it would be a lot more than 14. But on top of this, there are no graves, nor even ashes there. Internment in Shinto is essentially writing their name down. Something like the Vietnam war memorial in Washington DC.

Wouldn't it make sense to move 14 graves?

Abe is a classic shyster - a professional liar and a cheat. who is an ultimate nationalist fanatic who want's to believe JPN is superior and above everything...others are inferior to JPN and do not deserve equal treatment. If want to insist on visiting Yasukuni all he have to is just remove the CRIMINALS to another shrine permanenetly. SIMPLE AS THAT PROBLEM SOVLVED... MR ABE CAN VISIT YASUKUNI ALL HE WANTS, HELL HE COULD EVEN LIVE THEIR FOR ALL I CARE.

Sir_EdgarJan. 09, 2014 - 12:57AM JST China and South Korea don't really care about Japan any more. It's just an annoying pathetic country that is fixed on >the past.

It is rather obvious that the countries who are "fixed on the past" are China and South Korea. And being so, it is they who are "annoying".

Abe wants to explain Yasukuni visit to China, S Korea

An utter waste of his time. Its actually troubling that he doesn't understand that.

China and South Korea don't really care about Japan any more. It's just an annoying pathetic country that is fixed on the past.

I guess Abe realized that his actions may have caused some more financial problems for the country.I hope these issues can eventually be worked out.,but I say,let him sweat awhile.

Tinawatanabe, Why do you think money is an apology or resolves all problems?

**

Simple, by acknowledging, one and for all, without argument, that you were in the wrong. There is no doubt that Japan was

What is there to explain? The fact is that peoples of Japan and China/Korea don't like each other. In this atmosphere, any explanation would be taken as either an insult or an attempt at deceit.

Relationship between two countries needs to build on good will of their peoples. Without this, there can be no sincerity whatever you do in politics.

The Koreans/Chinese think the Japanese people are all suicidal samurais who respect only those who beat them bad like the Americans or the Russians, but not victims who let themselves get raped, like the Chinese or Koreans.

The Japanese think the Chinese and Koreans are pathetic whiners, who instead of improving themselves, keep going to the past. In other words, a bunch of losers.

How do you reconcile that?

As for the convicted Japanese war criminals, Japan, with the permission from United States, freed them all by 1958. And no Japanese were convicted by the allies for killing Asians, most of those who were punished were those who committed crimes against Western allied soldiers. Another joke of an injustice in itself.

Chucky. Care to back this up? 　There were 605 cases in China alone.

http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/BC%E7%B4%9A%E6%88%A6%E7%8A%AF

Abe simply needs to explain he`s a nitwit

Any Brits attacking Abe here need to stand down.

'We' are commemorating Lord Kitchener on a new £2 coin. He was responsible for the deaths of 26,000 women and children from starvation and disease in Concentration Camps during the Boer War.

For 18mths an average of 50 children died each and every day in these camps.

Abe is an unfortunate excuse for a leader. Typical of the whole provoke a reaction, then apologise for it attitude typical of many Japanese leaders

On Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that to improve relations with Beijing, Abe “needs to correctly view and deeply reflect on the Japan’s militarist history of external invasion and colonialism, show sincerity and make concrete efforts to improve ties with neighboring countries.”

Will China correctly view and deeply reflect on its own militarist past and present? It's not like they have clean hands on invasion. I mean, Tibet, Turkmenistan, Taiwan... how many more are there? Are they showing sincerity about their actions? Are they making concrete efforts to improve ties with neighbouring countries? Absolutely not. So it's more than a little bit rich for them to say this to Japan, if they can't do it themselves. Abe's opening the door to discussion, if China really wants to improve ties, they should take him up on the offer.

Why don't you list them for us chucky. Has anyone who ever apologized for "invading someone" then stated that Japan "never invaded anyone"?

It's a tenet of the right-wingers, including politicians, that Japan's invasion of Korea and China helped these nations. Kind of like how slavery in the US helped black people.

The support from Abe's constituency is not enough for him to stay PM. If majority of Japanese people were against his shrine visit, LDP would risk next election.

This is American pressure. Abe doesn't give a damn himself, or else he won't make every of his policies expressly designed against China. Proof once again that Japan does not have real independence. It's still an American colony, governed from Washington, not Tokyo.

You should be glad you are still allowed to speak Japanese. All the other colonies speak either English or Spanish.

Chucky3176. Thats what 101% of politicians do.

I actually agree with JoeBigs. Abe and other Japanese politicians are like a trolls. Their plan is to get a rise out of China and Korea, then wait for their diplomatic reactions. Once the reactions come in the form of Japanese news headlines, they can use the news to their own advantage by pointing out to the Japanese populace - "You see how unreasonable they are, Japanese citizens? They are trying to destroy us, we must unify and fight them off, because Japan is in danger!". As for Abe's offer of meeting with Korea and China... that one is for the American/European audiences, knowing very well what his actions gets him, he's putting his bets that Korea and China will not agree to the meetings, therefore he comes off looking like he has tried to talk peace but Korea and China are not being reasonable. In the meantime, to make sure Korea and China don't come around and actually agree to talk, Abe and his cohorts will do everything they can to make sure that Korea and China won't change their minds. Is Abe's party being a brilliant nationalist planners or will this take Japan down in the future? We shall see.

The visit by Abe of Yasukuni is pretty much transparent in Korea. This is his motive. He knows that visiting the place, Japan will receive a condemnation from Korea and China. So why does he do it? To raise Japanese nationalism and fan the hatred of Koreans and Chinese amongst the Japanese population. Once nationalism goes up in Japan, due to the fear that Abe has created, Abe now has a free hand in changing the constitution, and get rid of the peach approach that Japan had adopted since 1945.

Watch this Korean documentary on Japan media's anti-Korean fanning. There are hundreds of anti Korean publications and articles that are being printed daily in Japan to fan the hate. Listen to the Japanese expert on the reason why, and the role of the Japanese politicians and the Japanese media who are responsible for fueling the current conflict between the two countries.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1cwKQexegE

Abe ran on promise to rescind the apology

Do you think you could perhaps explain this or perhaps show where you read this?

(ODA)? another silly one trying too hard! ODA is not a war reparation with regret. ODA are usually given by developed countries to developing countries with many conditions attached. China is a giver and a taker. US 6,000 billions??? Some figure from the air? LOL.

Japan's ODA had indeed helped China after the war but it paled in comparisons to the destructions in property that the Japanese invasion of China had caused. The Chinese allowed millions of the Japanese invasion army and Japanese nationals to be repatriated to Japan safely after Japanese surrender, without reprisals. Don't you agree that China had been magnanimous in this respect?

Official apologies? Frequent actions by Japanese officials, government and politicians to defy and negate apologies only demonstrate slyness, insincerity and ill intent. Abe is a good example.

Learn to live peacefully. It is truly stupid to continue reminding others of your own past atrocities.

Quote from Bloomberg:

(Visitors say they have every right to honor the 2.5 million other Japanese war dead celebrated at Yasukuni; they compare the shrine to the U.S. war cemetery at Arlington.

This is dangerous nonsense. Yasukuni is ground zero for an unrepentant view of Japan’s wartime aggression. During World War II, the shrine served as the “command headquarters” of State Shinto, a religion that deified the emperor and mobilized Japanese subjects to fight a holy war at his behest. The private foundation that runs Yasukuni only added the 14 most controversial “souls” -- surreptitiously -- in 1978.

The shrine’s political mission is on blatant display at the adjacent Yushukan museum, run by the same foundation. There, the Class A war criminals are portrayed as martyrs. Japan’s war in China is supposed to have suppressed banditry and terrorism, while its invasion of the rest of Asia is represented as a war of liberation from Western colonialism. Missing from the extensive exhibits are any mentions of the Rape of Nanjing, the awful experiments conducted by Unit 731 on prisoners of war, or the suffering endured by tens of thousands of comfort women.

The museum presents a selective and sly reinterpretation of Japan’s shared history with Asia -- one that is antithetical to reconciliation, convinces few Japanese, and offends neighboring nations that endured the brunt of Japan’s imperial aggression.

Politicians who insist that they are only paying tribute to those who died for their country when they visit Yasukuni are not telling the truth. If that’s all they wanted to do, they could walk five minutes down the road to Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery, which is, like Arlington, Japan’s officially designated war cemetery.)

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-08-12/abe-should-end-the-war-over-yasukuni-shrine.html

Good grief. Japan didn't commit atrocities and Comfort Women were regular prostitutes but Japan already apologized and compensated for something they didn't do. Abe ran on promise to rescind the apology but Japan already apologized. Yasukuni is filled with rabid revisionist propaganda and glorification of imperial militarism but it's devoted to peace. I suppose this is the "All Your Base Are Belong To Us" doctrine at work.

chucky3176Jan. 07, 2014 - 03:18AM JST Someone really should list the long list of "unapologies" that Japanese statesmen have made past and present, and >upload them up to Wiki. It's as if making past "apologies" gives them the right to insult our intelligence with nonsense >like "Japan never invaded anyone".

Why don't you list them for us chucky. Has anyone who ever apologized for "invading someone" then stated that Japan "never invaded anyone"? If so, you would be correct. Has Japan ever retracted any portions of their peace treaties with South Korea or China? I am not aware of any such instance. I am also unaware of any "retraction" of any apologies that have been made. Or...are you saying that one person apologized but then later another person later said something that does not sound like an apology? Because if that is what you mean, I do not consider that as negating any apology given by someone else. In a democratic system politicians are free to express their individual opinions, be they right, wrong, or stupid. Each expression does not negate an official statement that has been made previously.

Someone really should list the long list of "unapologies" that Japanese statesmen have made past and present, and upload them up to Wiki. It's as if making past "apologies" gives them the right to insult our intelligence with nonsense like "Japan never invaded anyone". The Atlantic Journal magazine has a great series on Yasukuni right now, the shrine that doesn't stop with remembering the Japanese dead (which no-one has a problem with). Instead the shrine glorifies Japan's military actions and the Japanese empires in WWII. They claim that Japan helped Asians by beating off the white European colonialists, and other nonsense that insults anyone's intelligence. As for the convicted Japanese war criminals, Japan, with the permission from United States, freed them all by 1958. And no Japanese were convicted by the allies for killing Asians, most of those who were punished were those who committed crimes against Western allied soldiers. Another joke of an injustice in itself.

Why does Abe keep bringing up this dead horse? Nobody's interested in meeting with him, he should go on his own way, and wait for next month's announcement on another huge Japan account deficit which is on its way.

First of all, today's China which Mao Zedong founded in 1949 did NOT exsit when WW2 ended in 1945. I will tell you what Japan have been doning for each Asian nations.

After the Treaty of San Francisco in 1951, Japan also hold 2 nation treaties (Japan and each countries) with each countries, and have paid compensation along with the treaty.

Japan paid US$200 million for Burma (former nation of Myanmar) with the treaty on November 5 1951. To Phillipines, Japan paid US$550 million along with the compensation agreement on May 9 1956. To Indonesia, Japan paid US$223 million along with the compensation agreement on January 20 1958. To Vietnam, Japan paid US$3.9 million along with the compensation agreement on May 13 1959. At the Treaty on relations between Japan and S.Korea in 1965, Japan paid $500 million, and also provided $300 million loans.

As for China, the nation which existed in the Chinese continent before WW2 was Chiang Kai-shek's ROC (Republic of China:Taiwan nowadays), but he lost the domestic battle with Mao Zedong and moved to Taiwan island. Mao Zedong founded PRC (People’s Republic of China) in 1949, and advanced the reforms of China and Chinese people with his communism beliefs. China had been in chaos with their Cultural Revolution and the "Down to the Countryside Movement". It was an era of the "Cold War" between the west (USA, West Europe and Japan) and communism (Soviet, China and East Europe).

In 1972, Japan hold the Joint Communique with China, and Japan started to issue apology statements for China. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_war_apology_statements_issued_by_Japan

There were no request or demand regarding compensation, cos, International legally, PRC (China) didn't exist when Japan was defeated in 1945. However Japan started to pay lots of money to China as the form of ODA (Official development assistance). The amount paid to China is over US$6,000 billion for last 20 years.

But you know, unfortunately, Chinese government haven't told this financing help from Japan to their citizens. And mainland Chinese can't access to Wikipedia and other western resources by their Internet censorship. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_censorship_in_the_People%27s_Republic_of_China

That is why Chinese say Japan didn't apologized at all and didn't pay anything.

Probably they (Chinese) won't change their attitude to accuse Japan. Their hope is Japan get down on it's hands and knees in front of China. In their Sinocentrism, Japan has to be nothing for them. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinocentrism

At last, as for the Nanking Massacre, Japan admits there were an operation to attack Nanking. However, Chinese always say Japan army killed 300,000 people. But the population of the Nanking city at that moment was only 200,000. This is historical record. How could Japanese army kill more than its population? It is just propadanda of Chinese government. And the history book, Japan is free country, there are lots of history books for school. (How many text book publisher in China? Only their government?) The text book Chinese accuse is just one of those various choices for Japanease. And Japanese also think what the book did is not fair. So most schools are selecting other history books. Japan is a country of freedom.

There are many historians in japan. They are mostly very left but they all are interested in historical fact only as in other subjects otherwise cannot survive in Japan. Why people trust China/Skorea historians so much. And it is all right for Japanese to see Japans history from Japanese point of view.

Abe might want to explain himself but China and Korea don't want to listen. He knew that going in and should have avoided the visit just because of the bigger diplomatic issues.

On the other hand, China's discussion that Abe needs to "correct" his thinking about the Japanese role in WWII - I think Abe very well understands that Japan behaved badly. But that was 70 years ago and Japan hasn't repeated the mistakes.

China, on the other hand, seems to be very happy to continue to make the same mistakes that Japan made. Territorial claims, mistreatment of civilians, one party rule in government, etc. The Chinese are really digging themselves a hole.

Abe should have been content to stop digging his own and let the Chinese look like they are in the wrong. There are bigger issues here than a visit to Yasukuni. Abe should stick to one script rather than confusing the issue.

Japan has and made all up legally as a member of the world.

List of war apology statements issued by Japan http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_war_apology_statements_issued_by_Japan

And as for other incidents, those you say, you need to prove them with certain proofs. But China and South Korea haven't shown exact proofs. Verbal evidences can be fabricated and won't be a proof. No proofs, no apology.

China and South Korea have received tons of money, financial and technological supports from Japan already. Also Japan have signed the peace treaties and compensated to South East Asian countries in the 50's. Burma signed in 1955, Philippines did in 1956, Indonesia in 1958, and Vietnam in 1959. They are good friends of Japan today, except Chinese and Koreans who continue anti-Japanese attitude. International judgment has been closed. All the crimes of criminals were judged and the crimes disappeared today.

Don't you know PM Murayama got down on his knees and bowed in front of the graves of local Chinese when he traveled to the S.E.A. countries in the 90's?

You learn history and politics more, and have a sense of shame about keeping hatred toward Japan even in this 21st century.

seraphineJan. 07, 2014 - 12:46AM JST An apology is not something you can retract and amend as you please which is something Japan seems to be a >master of.

When has Japan ever "retracted" an apology?

From my point of view I don't think Japan has ever apologised. Throwing money at China and Korea to shut them up >to avoid international embarrassment and lessen Japanese war shame is not an apology my friend.

You did not read the list of apologies in the link? If they are not apologies what are they? Declarations that they will do it again? Your denial of these obvious apologies exemplifies the thinking behind China and South Korea's anti-Japan postures. If they ever faced reality and accepted the apologies then they would lose their "victim card". So keep rejecting and denying. This ensures that there will never be a resolution.

And before someone comes out with the "but there are only 14 war criminals enshrined out of 2.5 million" argument, there are actually 1,054 class B war criminals and even more class C war criminals who are honoured and remembered there.

They were enshrined in 1959. So why on earth, especially Korea, is complaining PM's visits nearly 50 years after their enshrinement?

Don't worry Mr. Abe. Fake peoples can not change their stunt because they are trying to be faked and mask on their face. Genuine peoples will listen and accept truth. Both S. Korean President and Chinese President are faking and pretending for their career. So let it be.

Yasukuni Shrine is about "Reflection" not "Glorification".

And Communist China & South Korea need to understand that Japan LOST THE WAR to the hands of The United States.

My Gawd! They go balking around like Japan won the war and are glorifying themselves for winning?

The Lost! They lost in the most horrible ways and their Emperor was forced to surrender and he had to take pictures along side the Generals and Admirals that defeated him, bombed his country, incinerated his citizens until their bitter end.

Go to Yasukuni Shrine Mr Abe.

Go there 100 times a year if you wish...Your fellow countrymen and those 2 Million plus souls that rest there will certainly appreciate it.

An apology is not something you can retract and amend as you please which is something Japan seems to be a master of.

Say you rob a store and you apologise to to the owner. Regardless of what that owner may say or feel if you are sorry you are sorry. Doesn't change. You don't make excuses and point the finger at another guy who robbed another store to claim that you're in the lesser wrong. You don't say "oh. The owner isn't satisfied with my apology so I'll retract it. He'll he won't accept it so I'll forget it anyway." You also don't say well he was asking for it.. someone else would have robbed him if not for me so I didn't do anything wrong ( Japan's stance on its invasion of other Asian countries)

From my point of view I don't think Japan has ever apologised. Throwing money at China and Korea to shut them up to avoid international embarrassment and lessen Japanese war shame is not an apology my friend.

Acceptance of apology or compensation does not right something that is fundamentally wrong. To whitewash history of the war means that you do not honor your apology and repentance in the mind of others. On the other hand, facing up to it does not make Japan a lesser nation, look at Germany.

Japan has very obviously apologized. Both South Korea and China accepted Japan's apology and signed peace treaties in 1965 an 1972 respectively. The time to "reject" an apology was then, not 40-50 years later after having gained all the benefits of the treaty.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_war_apology_statements_issued_by_Japan

The victors in war get to decide who the war criminals are. It is only natural I guess. But these so-called Japanese war criminals were tried and punished based on the law at the time by either being imprisoned or executed (and almost 1,000 were executed). Wherever their souls are shouldn't really matter. They were convicted of crimes and they did the time. I think Abe should stick to his guns and if he wants to remind himself that wars are ugly and to remember all those who died in world wars as well as civil wars in Japan of the past 150 years by visiting a shrine, then so he should.

He should only tell that he went Yasukuni because he was going to visit Yamaguchi Prefecture in January, 2014. Both his father's side and Mother's side areas in that Prefecture has people whose ancestors were enshrined after Boshin War. Too many, He can not ignore these people's support for next election.

There is no explanation needed. Other than "I am Japanese, and I went to visit a Japanese Shrine."

After reading all comments, I got the idea that Japan is actually sorry for what they did during the war but are unable to openly and directly admit so. The question is what can other countries do in order to make Japan feel comfortable in making a full admission of its past. This is important because other countries may feel that Japan is being very arrogant.

Empty apologies in response to international disapproval, as usual. He knew what he was doing, as did China and Korea. This is one of the worst leaders Japan has ever had.

Abe is wasting his time. they already know your intention. thing is, they're not buying it or they don't care.

smithinjapanJan. 06, 2014 - 09:23PM JST JoeBigs: "How many war crimes has Japan committed since the end of WW2?" How many did they commit before, and how many of those people are enshrined where the PM, who knowingly and actually promised to anger neighbours, did they commit, is the relevant question. How many millions of war crimes are represented in this private shrine that Abe willingly went to visit to anger Asian neighbours and push his own agenda?

So in other words you nor anyone of the pro Communist China folks here won't answer a simple as that, got it.

By not answering you have answered the question at the root of my question.

Okay Smith, how about answering this simple question, how many civilians during the Chinese revolution was Mao and the Communist responsible for killing?

Won't even try to get you to answer how many the Nationalist Chinese killed off.

Let's see if you are willing to look into the true horrors of war, cover-ups.

Good luck with that. I'm not taking any sides, but the fact is that until those judged as "war criminals" are removed from the shrine, explaining until you're blue in the face will remain insufficient. Abe and his successors have three choices: Stop visiting the shrine; separate the "war criminals"; or deal with the criticism. No amount of explanation will ever suffice.

You'd think adults would understand this.

There come the good, the bad and the ugly:

The Good – Abe got the stern message sent by the Whitehouse somehow.

The Bad – Given Abe’s past indignant behaviors demonstrated on the subject of Japan’s horrendous war crimes committed on Asia Countries during WW II, it might take hawkish Abe some considerable amount of time to undo the damages and thus build the trust with his counterparts.

The Ugly – Geoponics is similar to any other types of politics, it matters the most at the local level. There is little chance for Abe to make a U-turn without inflicting some serious pains on his right-wing constituents. Therefore, he needs a way out on international stage, yet satisfying his voters at the same time; that is not an easy thing. Does he have the will and the skill sets to do that? That would a huge question.

In addition, China and South Korea have little incentives to believe Abe’s words for real unless he proposes something that is new, fresh and substantial. Besides, China and South Korea need a whipping boy for their national agenda. For people who are not aware: It looks like that a summit held in Seoul between China and South Korean is under way. The time window for Abe to get something right is relative narrow.

For now, let’s wait and see Abe’s next move that is truly beyond a diplomatic damage-control spin.

doubt any explanation is good enough for china.

Smithinjapan Have you an idea of how do this shrines work? There are millions in that shrine.

the PM, who knowingly and actually promised to anger neighbours, did they commit

He promised to anger his neighbours? smith you really have got it in for him haven't you, making up things like this.

JoeBigs: "How many war crimes has Japan committed since the end of WW2?"

How many did they commit before, and how many of those people are enshrined where the PM, who knowingly and actually promised to anger neighbours, did they commit, is the relevant question. How many millions of war crimes are represented in this private shrine that Abe willingly went to visit to anger Asian neighbours and push his own agenda?

JeffLeeJan. 06, 2014 - 08:10PM JST "Some guys there would qualify as war crminals if the US wasn't the victor." Certainly, in a very different world, where every child in Asia is brainwashed to sacrifice their lives in an instant for the Japanese emperor. It's pretty obvious who the real "war criminals" are.

Just a simple set of question, try and answer them as honestly as you can..

How many war crimes has Japan committed since the end of WW2?

How many war crimes has China and the Korea's committed in that same time period?

Let's see if you are willing to answer those questions honestly, than after you decide then tell us, who is brainwashed?

I agree woth Joebigs. Abe isba great politician. He plays all roles and speaks all he wants. Hes a matermind of many things. Hes plyong hard and china and korea dont know how to respond.

"Some guys there would qualify as war crminals if the US wasn't the victor."

Certainly, in a very different world, where every child in Asia is brainwashed to sacrifice their lives in an instant for the Japanese emperor. It's pretty obvious who the real "war criminals" are.

Simon FostonJan. 06, 2014 - 07:35PM JST A master diplomat he is. Now, if Korea and China decline they will be exposed for what they are..... Smart fellow, very smart. Rubbish. He's an imbecile.

That's why he's Prime Minister of the world third largest economy and you're not.

You just don't see it, that's why his move was brilliant. China and Korea will fall under the same stratagem...

Now, you might disagree with what I have said, but that doesn't I am wrong. It just means you just don't like it.

Get it?

To the people who claim that certain omissions from the Yasukune museum mark it out as being 'disgusting'... how many war museums do you know that mention what horrors the country did in the past? Does the Imperial War museum in the UK make any mention of the terrible acts carried out by the British Empire in India or southern Africa? Are there any US museums dedicated to the cavalry that mention charges against Native American encampments of women and children? Do any US military museums mention Mai Lai?

And before anyone mentions Germany, in respect of their military museums, do they mention the holocaust? The slaughter of villagers in WW1? Of course they don't. They have panzers and warplanes all over the place (with swastikas removed of course). Countries like to glorify their military past... all of them. Would Chinese museums mention Mao's massacres of those who opposed the revolution?

He can explain about the forces behing directly to the leaders, then he expect both countries to understand.

Who would want to talk to an incorrigible liar? A pure waste of time.

To be fair, Abe visited Arlington. Some guys there would qualify as war crminals if the US wasn't the victor.

A master diplomat he is. Now, if Korea and China decline they will be exposed for what they are.....

Smart fellow, very smart.

Rubbish. He's an imbecile.

I cannot comprehend why people compare Germany's attitude favourably to Japan's. In both countries there are strong tendencies to ignore significant parts of their history, which I would consider false. The only difference is that they go to opposite extremes.

Additionally, in post-WWII Europe there was a group of political leaders in different nations who recognised the utility of cooperation between democratic nations, may they be victors or vanquished. In North-Eastern Asia, I am not aware of such a constellation (maybe during the Korean war...).

Well I agree that it may be a bit tasteless to keep a lot of old weapons in the museum close the shrine. But I thought the point with the museum as well as the shrine was to remember the war-dead. So its a historical picture of Japanese wars over time as a consideration of relatives trying to understand what happened when their relatives died.

For all the propaganda mongering and one-party dogma there is in China, I have to agree with this.

Judging from his moves, Prime Minister Abe is hypocritical when he pays lip-service to improving relations with China. It is he himself who closed the door to dialogue with China,” she said in a daily briefing.

He knew what would happen before he went, and he went anyway. Now it is his responsibility and his whole country looks bad, which it doesn't deserve. Of course it will be better if they do start talks, so it will be China that has to swallow its pride now for anything to move forward...

Clearly Abe has reflected by coming out and making this call, he has shown he has reflected on what he did. Its now up to china and korea to continue with the process of calming the whole Asian drama down.

Elbuda Mexcano Ishihara and Hashimoto comments were distorted by Japanese media. I read originals and there were difference and things misunderstood . And Japan admits the past act, you should read the government official statements. Why do you think Japan kept a peaceful country and kept war renoucing, and 2nd largest contributor for UN even japan is not a permanet member? Don't you ever think that was because japan was sorry?

Yep the museum tells it all, no mention of Unit 731, no mention of the starvation of and brutal nature of POWs treatment. Civilian atrocities, just a list of how Japan was victimised. A vile tribute to a vile time in Japan's history that is bent to justify the peace that Japan bought to the freedom loving people of Asia. Mass killings and rape are to be overlooked due to the one off ( mass ) disregard of human rights. The revisionist history taught in schools....yep visiting this Shrine means nothing.

The decision to visit Yasukuni was stupid and provocative and Abe deserves to be condemned for it.

But I would like to see a Summit a greater dialogue between all 3 - it's very, very important at this juncture of time. He needs to be more forthcoming, as opposed to simply 'leaving the door open' though. Be a statesman and a regional leader, Mr Abe.

And before someone comes out with the "but there are only 14 war criminals enshrined out of 2.5 million" argument, there are actually 1,054 class B war criminals and even more class C war criminals who are honoured and remembered there.

If you look at the shrine only, you could almost believe their line that it's nothing to do with white-washing of history and all to do with respecting the dead, but the adjacent horrid museum is a dead giveaway re: its true intent.

“I am confident that we can gain understanding.. If we firmly explain the Abe administration’s pro-active pacifism,” he said.

The Japanese are pacifist as long as Article 9 exists. This part of the constitution is commendable, and should serve as an example to every country in the world. The sooner every country adopts their own Article 9, the better, as the world will be a better place.

Except that Abe has expressly stated that he wants to change the constitution - ie drop Article 9. If this happens, Japan will not be a pacifist country anymore. So he is lying on one side or the other. Either he doesn't want to revise the constitution, or he doesn't want to be a pacifist nation. But he can't have his cake and eat it too.

“I would really like to explain the intent of my visits to the Yasukuni Shrine directly to them,” Abe said. “We are not making any direct approach on this, but the door to dialogue is open. I would like to hold Japan-China and Japan-South Korea summit meetings.”

A master diplomat he is. Now, if Korea and China decline they will be exposed for what they are.....

Smart fellow, very smart.

Please! I think we all know that this Jainist (mind you, he is not a true Buddhist/Shinto believer) is clearly appealing to the right-wing groups by visiting Yasukuni and then trying to claim it was for peaceful purposes to gain international support over the justified ire coming from SK and China (oh, and Singapore, US, and other nations!). Abe is a moron if he thinks anyone outside of Japan will buy his lies and his deceit.

Mitch Cohen, it is B, but he also suffers from A to be fair to him.

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/580x373q90/22/12qn.png

Abe visiting Yasukuni and saying he hoped the neighbouring countries would "understand" demonstrates either: (a) a profound disconnect from reality, or (b) deceitfulness, wherein he is lying when he pretends he did not know this was going to be the reaction

Personally I think it's (b).

Dialogue is a good start, but my guess unitl JAPAN really comes to grips with its awful past, just like GERMANY has, then and only then will the Asian, European, etc...victims of the Japanese Imperial Army, will TRUE DIALOGUE be possible. But Abe, and guys like Ishihara, right wing types (kind of the KKK and Nazis) Japan style, there will never be REAL dialogue. Time for Japan to really reflect on the horror, pain, suffering that was inflicted by the horrible, evil IMPERIAL JAPANESE ARMY!! Time to see what is true and what is just being white washed by the Japanese racist right wing bastards!

Sure, Abe. Just make sure you punch them in the face first before saying you wish for peace.

Offensive, knowingly offensive , then to claim it needs explanation in order to clear the situation? The situation is both historical but defiantly Blinky Bill triggered it. Abe is just prolonging the fight for purely domestic political purposes. One day I hope the Nippon population realise the reason none in Asia trust them is because of leaders like Abe.

That was quick, Chuck!