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China, Russia slam Japanese ministers' visits to Yasukuni Shrine

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During their phone talks on Monday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov that Beijing and Moscow should join hands to "oppose any attempt to whitewash or glorify militarism" and "stem any scheme to falsify history."

Pot, meet kettle.

22 ( +32 / -10 )

1) Coca-Cola

2) Nivea

3) Maybelline

4) Clinique

5) Pandora Jewelry

In Japan???? Lol....

15 ( +18 / -3 )

In 2013 the US State Dept declared that such a visit would worsen Japan's relations with China and South Korea. See Caroline Kennedy.

Never has the United States ever criticized Yasukuni vists as having any effect on US-JPN relations.

"December 26, 2013

Japan is a valued ally and friend. Nevertheless, the United States is disappointed that Japan's leadership has taken an action that will exacerbate tensions with Japan's neighbors.

The United States hopes that both Japan and its neighbors will find constructive ways to deal with sensitive issues from the past, to improve their relations, and to promote cooperation in advancing our shared goals of regional peace and stability.

We take note of the Prime Minister’s expression of remorse for the past and his reaffirmation of Japan's commitment to peace."

https://japan2.usembassy.gov/e/p/2013/tp-20131226-01.html

15 ( +16 / -1 )

Maybe Japan should start using the internal affairs card in order to respond to this sort of petty politics from China, I still have no idea why South Korea is concerned with war Criminals related to Nanjing Massacre and Unit 731 when a lot of South Koreans helped the imperial Japanese army in these acts.

14 ( +19 / -5 )

The list of international brands that boycott any celebrity caught visiting Yasukuni Shrine

Sorry but I support boycotting China instead. As bad as the Yakusuni Shrine is, Japan isn't threatening any nations territorial sovereignty, isn't stealing other nations intellectual property through cyber theft or committing genocide against any ethnic minorities. China needs to pay a high price.

12 ( +20 / -8 )

Desert TortoiseToday  08:44 am JST

Japanese politicians should be deeply ashamed to set foot in the Yasukuni Shrine as long as Class A war criminals remain interred there,.................

Remove the Class A war criminals and there is no problem. Why is this so hard?

There are no human remains at Yasukuni Shrine, a popular myth. The shrine lists the names, origins, birthdates, and places of death of 2,466,532 men, women, children, and various pet animals. Among those are 1,068 convicted war criminals, 14 of whom are A-Class (convicted of having been involved in the planning, preparation, initiation, or waging of the war).

12 ( +14 / -2 )

The fact that the Prime Minister of Japan and his cabinet including his minister of Defense expressed no remorse for the atrocities committed by the imperial Japanese army puts them sadly in the same class as the war criminals that are shamefully enshrined at Yasukini.

Does Imperial Japanese army exist?

I think now the key question needs to be asked whether Japan is really a developed country that belongs in the G7

well, Looking at USA and UK, Japan is actually a lot better when it comes to it's approach to war crimes.

Based upon their lack of remorse Japan no longer possesses the required moral authority and qualifications to be in the G7.

BULLSH1T

12 ( +20 / -8 )

Regardless of one's views on Yasukuni, the only thing I can say with absolute certainty is that China and Russia are the last two nations qualified to be criticizing anyone about "truth of history".

12 ( +17 / -5 )

The Internet, bookstores and media will increase even more now with anti-Korean garbage as these corrupt politicians desperately try to stay in power.

Try showing me some here in stores. I haven't seen those kind of books like 2-3 times in the last 30 years to be frank. There are anti-Japanese schools runs by Koreans here in Japan if you didn't know. What do you say about that?

12 ( +15 / -3 )

Actually, looking at other news outlets, there is no mention of Russia's Lavrov criticising the Yasukuni visits, or mentioning them in any way, but rather mostly Wang Yi's claims.

12 ( +14 / -2 )

This shows that China has not really forgiven Japan for WWII and I dont know what Russia's issue is.

11 ( +14 / -3 )

n1k1Today  10:40 am JST

The term “war criminals” is defined by the victors

No it is not ! It is defined as "a person who has carried out an act during the conduct of a war that violates accepted international rules of war"

People have been and still are fighting over money and land all the time. I don't want to say this is fine but it is what it is. The problem comes when you intentionally start killing civilian

True. But the problem is that in wars, civilians get killed regardless of which side. And only the victors are in a position to try the losers.

"When asked later about his role in the air raids, LeMay said: There are no innocent civilians. It is their government and you are fighting a people, you are not trying to fight an armed force anymore. So it doesn’t bother me so much to be killing the so-called innocent bystanders."

*When asked about U.S. actions in Japan during World War II, McNamara responded, “LeMay said if we’d lost the war, we’d all have been prosecuted as war criminals. And I think he’s right. . . . LeMay recognized that what he was doing would be thought immoral if his side had lost. But what makes it immoral if you lose, and not immoral if you win?”*

https://medium.com/retro-report/the-u-s-general-who-called-himself-a-war-criminal-8789703305f5

11 ( +14 / -3 )

ableko45Today  12:03 pm JST

Expect to see more provocation against the Koreans.

The Internet, bookstores and media will increase even more now with anti-Korean garbage as these corrupt politicians desperately try to stay in power.

You are living in an alternate reality. Anti-Japan sentiment, along with actions, behavior and provocations at social, poltical and judicial levels is all generated by South Korea and dwarfs any anti-Korean sentiment in Japan, which today is merely a response to the continuous unilateral South Korean provocations.

11 ( +16 / -5 )

I'm certainly no Japanese apologist but hey China, how about Hong Kong and your security law?

Oh, and Russia, how about killing people who speak out against Putin?

11 ( +15 / -4 )

"oppose any attempt to whitewash or glorify militarism" and "stem any scheme to falsify history."

Look who is talking!!!! How short do they think peoples memory is?!

10 ( +20 / -10 )

Beijing and Moscow should join hands to "oppose any attempt to whitewash or glorify militarism" and "stem any scheme to falsify history."

Wait, you mean the Russian narrative spread in recent years that all of Europe was liberated by the Red Army and the US and its allies only landed in Normandy when it was too late and liberated only a negligible part of Europe?

Or the narrative where Russian propaganda claims that the US and its allies only claim, and thus try to falsify history, that the US liberated all of Europe and the Red Army stayed in the USSR?

Or the narrative that the CIA directed an illegal coup in Ukraine and Russia had to intervene, even though Russia originally claimed there were no Russian soldiers in Ukraine? Or the favorite Russian narrative that every opponent is automatically a fascist who took pictures in Ukraine's Donbass and murdered children?

Rather sweep your own doorstep, Russia.

10 ( +19 / -9 )

Desert TortoiseToday  09:42 am JST

Why Japan cannot honor its fallen in wars ?????????......

Remove the Class A war criminals and there is no problem. Why is this so hard?

Considering that (1) there are no bodies or ashes, just pieces of paper with their names on it, and (2) there are also much more class B and C War Criminals, 1054 to be exact (some of whom are Korean) also enshrined there;

Do you honestly believe that removing 14 pieces of paper will prevent China and Korea from continuing to use Yasukuni visits as a diplomatic tool against Japan?

10 ( +14 / -4 )

Amnesty clause was effective even if it was not specified as such in the peace treaty. Article 11 of the treaty was there mostly for making Japan unable to forgive and execute those by it's own hands as it had accepted the verdicts of the trial.

10 ( +13 / -3 )

worshipping war criminals doesnt look good with any decent nations and ppl.

9 ( +27 / -18 )

What is wrong with Yasukuni

In order to answer this question first of all one has to understand what Yasukuni stands for!

In the middle of the 19th century power in Japan shifted from the Shogun to the Emperor who became the ruler, father and god of a nation that was modelled according to the traditional concept of an "Ie" or extended family. Yasukuni was established in 1866 in honour of all those warriors who gave their live for this concept of family nation with the emperor at its center, called “Kokutai Shugi”. So the first souls, that were enshrined there and became guardian spirits of the nation (just as the ancestors in a regular family), had fought against their fellow Japanese who defended the Shogunat. "Kokutai Shugi" eventually became the core of an ultra nationalist ideology under which freedom was suppressed at home and war spread to many neighbouring countries, namely Korea and China. While it could be said that most of the over 2 Million souls enshrined at Yasukuni were victims of a religiously trimmed nationalism themselves, it should also be remembered that on their way to “sainthood” they caused the untimely and cruel death of more than ten times as many of their Asian neighbours.

Just make a few cosmetic adjustments to the historical facts and Yasukuni goes as a culturally embedded memorial for the war dead. Japan has had a long history of reinventing its own tradition during the Tokugawa and Meiji Period. The Problem in a democracy is not that these reinterpretation of history exist, but that hardly anybody questions them and the education system doesn’t encourage Japanese students to do so.

9 ( +13 / -4 )

Russia aggressive. Took back Crimea by force killing thousands of Ukrainians. Less then 10 years ago.

China aggressive killing dozens of Hindu/Indian soldiers at the border. Threatening Taiwan and Japan directly. Less then 2 Years ago.

China has put more than a million Uyghurs in prisons, hundreds of thousands have died and are enduring torture every day.

So China should just shut up, it will never have the right to speak about anything as long as it’s under CCP.

Russia is a pathetic bully, always taking on weaker countries. They don’t have the courage to take on someone their own size.

9 ( +13 / -4 )

same would be said if dead Nazi War Criminals were "shown respect" for having fought for Germany.

For those who always compare Japan with the 3rd Reich, I stress again, Imperial Japan never thought of extinguishing a particular race. Not to mention what they have done to the Jews,  Nazis oppressed Polish saying " It's enough for them to be educated up to around 4th grade in elementary school level, if they can count the number up to 500 and can write their own names, it's just enough" It abducted and murdered about a million intelligence in Poland. However, Polish still preferred to be occupied by Germans rather than Russians because they believed Germany had culture. This is the terrible reality of the humane history.

 

Did Japan ever treat, say, Korea like that? Japan established compulsary education over there for every children including those unable to attend the school due to their ex-slave status or poverty. Imperial University in Korea was established even before Osaka Imperial University. Oh Yes I don't doubt Japanese then had some kind of sense of superiority over them. But Comparison of Japan and Germany IS totally meaningless 

9 ( +17 / -8 )

When Russia organizes a democratic vote, it's aggression.

Democracy and Russia dont belong in the same sentence, Russian democracy is poisoning all your rivals and winning because there is no one else left.

Not as if USA would jump into a war right at the end, when the enemy was hopelessly decimated after 3 years of unparalleled battles elsewhere and then claim to have won that war.

ROFL, touched a nerve there.

Russia is a bully, it doesn't have the strength to take on a country its own size.

9 ( +14 / -5 )

The term “war criminals” is defined by the victors. To others napalming of Vietnamese, genocide of American Indians, genocidal atomic bomb, slaughter of the people of Palestine, western invasions of countries in Asia and Africa, etc. are war crimes. Visiting the Jinjya Shrine to honor those people forced to join the army is Japan’s way of honoring those who perished. Japan acknowledges its mistakes and pain inflicted in Asia. It has honored its commitment to not repeat the same mistake. It does not give medals to those who kill teenage prisoners in the Middle East. We will continue to honor those everyday people whose lives were cut short when the military leaders reacted to a planned and coordinated economic blockade. Japan mourns for its mistakes in its own way now and forever.

8 ( +14 / -6 )

so does people in China, South Korea, Russia feel when war criminals are "showed respect" in Japan. 

What kind of war crimes against peace and humanity did Imperial Japan do to Russians? Japan had been expecting them to mediate to cease fire with conditional surrender.

Remove the Class A war criminals and there is no problem. Why is this so hard?

ClassA and ClassC were created by Allies as post fact law.

8 ( +13 / -5 )

Russia should be apologizing to Japan.

8 ( +15 / -7 )

Maybe reporpose the guys who ran for their lives from the Taliban. Forget about the 10000+ left behind.

Those were the Soviets, the daddies of Russia.

You have your history mixed up!!!

8 ( +11 / -3 )

ReasonandWisdomNipponToday  07:28 am JST

Japan officials visiting a Shrine to commemorate the end of WW2. Japan's Defeat and Surrender.

Not to glorify the past.

Not to promote crimes.

It's about showing respect for those who fought for Japan and sacrifice their life,

Those politicians aren't showing respect for anyone. They're just using the war dead for their own shabby PR stunts to get gullible right-wingers to send them cash for vote for them in elections.

4 ( +12 / -8 )

And here we have three nationalistic and stubborn countries arguing as always for the past.

I’m totally against this shrine and the warship by these right wingers of war criminals as well.

Saying that,Russia and China aren’t paladins of human rights either,with Stalin’s purge of over ten millions of people standing his way sending them to gulag and China aggressive ethnic purge to the former nation of Tibet which Mao was directly responsible.

So all in all Japan,Russia and China are victim’s of their nationalistic narrow minded leaders.

3 ( +10 / -7 )

Japanese politicians should be deeply ashamed to set foot in the Yasukuni Shrine as long as Class A war criminals remain interred there, but like too many politicians around the world they shameless pander to the most base instincts pathetically incapable of rising above expediency. But any complaining by the Russians or especially the Chinese on this matter is a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black. Nothing but self serving bovine excrement.

3 ( +12 / -9 )

KentarogaijinToday  08:43 am JST

I will repeat it a thousand times more..

...

Why Japan cannot honor its fallen in wars ?????????......

Japan can and it does, on August 15th at the Budokan. Not at Yasukuni Shrine. That's a place for private citizens and private mourning, not PR stunts by sleazy old spivs like Abe that just insult the memory of everyone who was killed in WW2.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Why Japan cannot honor its fallen in wars ?????????......

Remove the Class A war criminals and there is no problem. Why is this so hard?

2 ( +13 / -11 )

It's about showing respect for those who fought for Japan and sacrifice their life, long before WW2 ever happened. Shrine was there.

It actually degrades Japan . Proper respect is shown at Nippon Budokan. (15 August).

1 ( +14 / -13 )

Why Japan cannot honor its fallen in wars ?????????......

For the same reason Austria can not honor Hitler

1 ( +11 / -10 )

"oppose any attempt to whitewash or glorify militarism" and "stem any scheme to falsify history."

No so many things of that whitewash can be seen in public like that shrine visit, another form of whitewash is textbook controversies that contain whitewash.

https://spice.fsi.stanford.edu/docs/examining_the_japanese_history_textbook_controversies

0 ( +16 / -16 )

Russia joins the show?

Yes; Trump tried to drive a wedge between Russia and China because having them become closer is a world catastrophe. With Trump out of the picture, Russia and China are getting closer and are again the foremost threat to world stability.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

kennyGToday  02:20 pm JST

same would be said if dead Nazi War Criminals were "shown respect" for having fought for Germany.

For those who always compare Japan with the 3rd Reich

That's a strawman argument. The comparison is between the behaviour of modern German politicians and modern Japanese ones.

0 ( +7 / -7 )

Russia aggressive. Took back Crimea by force killing thousands of Ukrainians. Less then 10 years ago.

China aggressive killing dozens of Hindu/Indian soldiers at the border. Threatening Taiwan and Japan directly. Less then 2 Years ago.

What's upsetting this aggressive countries???

Japan officials visiting a Shrine to commemorate the end of WW2. Japan's Defeat and Surrender.

Not to glorify the past.

Not to promote crimes.

It's about showing respect for those who fought for Japan and sacrifice their life, long before WW2 ever happened. Shrine was there.

It's more about making Japan be ashamed of its past. Ashamed of it's soldiers. Ashamed of their sacrifice for their Country And it's People.

That's why when Japanese sacrifice themselves Westerners call it Fanatical, was done because they are brained washed, was done only for the Emperor.

If a Western soldier or Russian soldier sacrifice themselves.... It's called Heroic. Hero. Brave. Done for the people and the country. Pure Love and Bravery. For the Family and Motherland.

Such double Standards, Hypocritical, Full of Bull as Always.

-1 ( +28 / -29 )

Wait, you mean the Russian narrative spread in recent years that all of Europe was liberated by the Red Army and the US and its allies only landed in Normandy when it was too late and liberated only a negligible part of Europe?

There is no such narrative. Russia always states that Europe was liberated with the help of the Allies, however it is a true fact that the Red Army took the biggest toll.

You can't deny that the Red Army did the majority of work, from liberating East Europe up to taking Berlin. The Allies (incl US) did their part in the West (however chronologically later).

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

As Simon Foster wrote, it is just a way for shabby LDPers to ingratiate themselves with the hard right wingers controlling the party.

Very disappointed to see Koizumi jr there. Can't he get ahead any other way?

-3 ( +10 / -13 )

Russia aggressive. Took back Crimea by force killing thousands of Ukrainians. Less then 10 years ago.

When Russia organizes a democratic vote, it's aggression. When NATO launches terror bombing of civilian targets in Serbia in order to pry Kosovo from Serbia and install the largest offshore USA military base there, it's "freedom and democracy".

Russia is a pathetic bully, always taking on weaker countries.

Unlike USA....... We all know USA has fought the largest wars against the most formidable opponents. Not as if USA would jump into a war right at the end, when the enemy was hopelessly decimated after 3 years of unparalleled battles elsewhere and then claim to have won that war.

-3 ( +9 / -12 )

JT readers when Japanese officials visit Yasukuni Shrine: How dare they visit the shrine where war criminals are enshrined, this is a disgrace

JT readers when Korea, Japan, Russia etc. criticise these visits: how DARE they criticise

-5 ( +5 / -10 )

@kennyG

For those who always compare Japan with the 3rd Reich... 

You really have some hyperbole issues. Surely their final objective was different (extermination VS domination) but there were war criminals on both sides. That is the issue here, and that is the only thing being compared, if any, in the comment I made. A war criminal is a war criminal. Or are you saying is okay to show respect to Japanese war criminals because they didn't try to exterminate Koreans or Chinese, but not Germans because they did try to do so Jews and Poles? Ridiculous. We should all oppose any revering or showing of respect to ANY criminal. Period. That's all.

-6 ( +7 / -13 )

Russia is a bully, it doesn't have the strength to take on a country its own size.

Which country is the size of Russia? Can USA take on Russia? Maybe reporpose the guys who ran for their lives from the Taliban. Forget about the 10000+ left behind.

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

Russia joins the show?

Not good looking for Japan.

-7 ( +7 / -14 )

Remove the Class A war criminals and there is no problem. Why is this so hard?

Well said Desert Tortoise!

Visiting the shrine will only get in the way of moving on and building a stronger relationship with its neighbours... i'm hoping the next generation of politicians can be less rigid and look for ways to change/improve some of their "traditions" that obviously does not work in this current century...

-7 ( +4 / -11 )

The list of international brands that boycott any celebrity caught visiting Yasukuni Shrine

This proves that China is really powerful. No foreign corporation dares to anger Chinese people. The list can go much longer.

-7 ( +3 / -10 )

Go for China and Russia this time.

-8 ( +4 / -12 )

I agree with the sentiment that the politicians say it is correct peace not war however you undermine that sentiment by visiting a shrine to war criminals, and that is exactly what Yasukuni Shrine is.

Part of what they were charged with:

As leaders, organizers, instigators, or accomplices in the formulation or execution of a common plan or conspiracy to wage wars of aggression, and war or wars in violation of international law

My grandfather who fought against all three Germany, Italy, and Japan during WWII at some stage during his 8 years of service. Once told me that he was disgusted by Japan when they enshrined (to preserve or cherish as sacred) War Criminals at Yasukuni. And each time somebody (anybody not just politicians) visits Yasukuni shrine it glorifies what they did, regardless of what that person is "Praying" For.

-8 ( +6 / -14 )

The term “war criminals” is defined by the victors

No it is not ! It is defined as "a person who has carried out an act during the conduct of a war that violates accepted international rules of war"

People have been and still are fighting over money and land all the time. I don't want to say this is fine but it is what it is. The problem comes when you intentionally start killing civilian

-8 ( +5 / -13 )

From the Asahi Shimbun’s editorial page today:

But it is one thing that the bereft families of war dead and ordinary citizens mourn the death of people killed in the war at the shrine. It is quite another that Cabinet members and other political leaders visit the shrine, which was the core facility of the wartime state Shinto and served as the spiritual pillar of Japan’s militarism in those days.

-8 ( +8 / -16 )

@kennyG

What kind of war crimes against peace and humanity did Imperial Japan do to Russians? Japan had been expecting them to mediate to cease fire with conditional surrender.

Fine. I don't know if there is any war crime committed against Russians by Japanese. Still, the Japanese didn't commit any war crime against my country, nor did Mao or Stalin, but it still repulses me when Japan honors their war criminals, and when Mao or Stalin are revered. That's why is called crimes against "peace and humanity", nothing to do with who were they specifically against. Just think about it, same would be said if dead Nazi War Criminals were "shown respect" for having fought for Germany. It's very basic. Japan IS at fault here.

-8 ( +7 / -15 )

The Japanese need to pray for the souls of the millions of people murdered by the Imperial Japanese Army.

Where is the sacred shrine for those poor souls in Japan? Foreign souls not worthy?

If you add, say, 2-million Koreans, 2-million Manchurians, Chinese, Russians, many East European Jews (both Sephardic and Ashkenazi), and others killed by Japan between 1895 and 1937 (conservative figures), the total of Japanese victims is more like 10-million to 14-million.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_war_crimes

Will there be any shrines for these millions of victims of violent Japanese samurai culture? 

Japanese culture has actually traumatized Asia for a long time. Would a Japanese politician ever visit a shrine to the millions of foreign victims of Japan? How about a new Yasukini shrine for the victims of Japanese war madness and blood thirst?

And now they want to change their Constitution to become a "normal" country. 

Sorry but Japan can not be a "normal" country given their samurai-based culture. 

The world will suffer again if that happens.

-9 ( +18 / -27 )

The list of countries that have criticized Japanese officials visiting Yasukuni Shrine

1) USA

2) China

3) Russia

4) Korea

5) North Korea

The list of international brands that boycott any celebrity caught visiting Yasukuni Shrine

1) Coca-Cola

2) Nivea

3) Maybelline

4) Clinique

5) Pandora Jewelry

-9 ( +10 / -19 )

I will repeat it a thousand times more..

It is wrong ! All of it ! The culture, the tradition.. all that .. if it is harming people it is WRONG !

-9 ( +7 / -16 )

That should have read, "GOOD for China and Russia this time.

-10 ( +4 / -14 )

There were actual war crime trials after World War II and there were actual convictions. 

It’s interesting that the Japanese are now denying the legitimacy of those trials.  So Japanese are again the victims lol. 

And there is a huge difference between Koreans who demonstrate about specific Japanese policies and Japanese denial of history and the Japanese who shout and write all sorts of hate against Koreans.  Just look up on the Internet about these Japanese LDP supporters screaming hate at Korean tourists lol. Cool Japan lol

-10 ( +8 / -18 )

It’s interesting that the only thing holding up the LDP right now are provocations like Yasukuni shrine visits which are aimed at provoking a reaction from Koreans in order to get more votes at the next election.

-10 ( +7 / -17 )

@Kentarogaijin

I will repeat it a thousand times more..

It's the culture of Japan.

The history of Japan.

The customs of Japan.

The religion of Japan.

The sanctuaries of Japan.

The life of Japan.

Japan can do its ceremonies and it is nobody else's business.

China praises Mao.

Russia praises Stalin.

The US praises the settlers who killed hundreds of thousands of indigenous people and the slave-owning rebels of the civil war.

Why Japan cannot honor its fallen in wars ?????????......

You fail to follow your thought through. Surely China, Russia and the US (and other nations) have their "heroes" as you mention. In principle each of course have the right to do it. As they already DO. The question is not whether they can or cannot. The argument here is as any family member of a victim of Mao's regime, or Stalin's regime or descendent of American natives dispossessed of land and life by settlers would feel when these are honored in a any way, so does people in China, South Korea, Russia feel when war criminals are "showed respect" in Japan. Is basic sympathy, if your neighbor's son had killed your son in a criminal act, and let's say he also died somehow, but for some reason the family still were your neighbors, how would you feel they celebrate or commemorate his birthday and/or dead day?? That's what some people feel, that's what they complain about. And I find it reasonable. Surely the temple was there before the war, but they AFTER the war ENSHRINED CONVICTED war criminals there. You surely have to find that objectable if not outright despicable. They basically honor criminals there.

-11 ( +7 / -18 )

I think now the key question needs to be asked whether Japan is really a developed country that belongs in the G7.

You are right ! For whatever reason they are very quiet !

The UK now can't say anything because of brexit ? The US won't because of China ? And everyone else because neither UK nor US is doing it.

-13 ( +2 / -15 )

China and Russian government officials should visit Senkaku and Kuril islands.

-14 ( +3 / -17 )

Japan trying to dominate Asia economically , not going to be a happy ending only more resentment!

-17 ( +2 / -19 )

The fact that the Prime Minister of Japan and his cabinet including his minister of Defense expressed no remorse for the atrocities committed by the imperial Japanese army puts them sadly in the same class as the war criminals that are shamefully enshrined at Yasukini.

This is the unfortunate state of political affairs in Japan, 2021.

I think now the key question needs to be asked whether Japan is really a developed country that belongs in the G7.

Based upon their lack of remorse Japan no longer possesses the required moral authority and qualifications to be in the G7.

-17 ( +5 / -22 )

whose lives were cut short when the military leaders reacted to a planned and coordinated economic blockade. 

Understandable reaction. So go and kill 25 million people? This justifies what the IJA did? Why do you think the US planned and coordinated a blockade against Japan?

-17 ( +2 / -19 )

If you fight wars and invade your neighboring countries then you deal with the consequences except for European countries where they’ve fought each other so much they don’t care as much.

-19 ( +4 / -23 )

You can be against Yasukuni and the CCP at the same time. It’s not an either/or.

As to whether Japan will get better with new politicians i don’t think so because the Japanese economy is getting worse so dirty politicians will need to do more and more provocations to stay in power.

Expect to see more provocation against the Koreans.

The Internet, bookstores and media will increase even more now with anti-Korean garbage as these corrupt politicians desperately try to stay in power.

-20 ( +1 / -21 )

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