Koike says she wouldn't visit Yasukuni Shrine if she became PM

I can not forgive Premier Abe for quetioning the apology for the Japanese WW II War Conduct. Many of people such as myself trusted the Japanese word on this matter including as expressed by The Emperor and past Prime Ministers. For nearly 20 years I had worked to place mainly Japanese musicians before the public as a public relations policy to present the Japanese people as warm, pleasant and looking to the future, not the past and try to blame everyone but their past atrocities and false premise to build an empire for the benefit of the countries it occupied and commited terrible crimes in. The issue of 'comfort women' also was ignoring facts. One wondered what happened to all those people that were going to sue publications for false accusations? It simply did not happen as they had no case. It was tottaly unfair to the youth of Japan to regurgitate issues apologized for and should have been left alone. It compromised the honor of Japan.

Japan needs to move forward....its educational and family / social structures are backward and the suicide rate is shameful for such a supposedly civilized nation. There are judicial moves to loosen Japanese people from over-work (the reason for many suicides). It has many wonderful people with extraordinary talents and add much to the world which is now so globally intigrated that no-one can ignore the image they present to the world and how it is seen. Even North Korea will have to take account of that and, in many ways, it does...and wants to.

Turiko Koike might just be what Japan needs but it is too early to say as her policies are not yet fully revealed nor her new party. It is unusual that a politician having led a landslide victory in Tokyo elections should now say she does not intend offering herself for election as Prime Minister. Perhaps that will change...if the electorate want her to then it is up to the electorate to 'invite' her.

The courtesy of Japanese people is welcome but I wonder with the ritualistic aspect of it wether it stops them being in touch with their emotions. Repression of emotions can bring ill-health. I am full of admiration for what the Japanese represent and what they have achieved but it needs to understand its own history to be able to move forward. I hope it does.

Being a woman, I have that fleeting desire for my adopted country to have a female leader which could be a pre empted issue for a future Empress. Japan is hungering for a change. Just like my home country when it hungered for a change. look at it now. Just like when the US was hungering for a change. And look at it now, too. But the reality is, politics is a man's world. And Japan is basically a man's country. And the Olympics is just around the corner. If ever I'd able to vote I'd still vote for the present one. It doesn't matter who's the present PM. I guess the guts and determination of PM Abe is highly commendable staying this long with both locals and foreigners bashing his every action. Visiting Yasukuni is merely paying respect to the dead. Those deads were war heroes in this part of the world. People could have prayed for the dead even in their own homes or in different shrines but having all those memorabillias displayed in that particular shrine, isn't it just right to pray for them solely in that very place? It is a Shinto shrine, may we not respect that religious belief and practice religious tolerance? We, foreigners come from different countries and backgrounds and culture. Why shld we measure innate Japanese belief base from our own? Just an opinion . Peace to every one!

Abe, who took office nearly five years ago, visited Yasukuni Shrine, seen by China and South Korea as a symbol of Japan's past militarism, in December 2013. The visit sparked an outcry from Beijing and Seoul and an expression of disappointment from ally Washington and he has not gone in person since then.

Leaving out parts of the event changes the entire meaning. While the visit drew an outcry from China and South Korea as was expected, the "expression of disappointment" from the US State Department was that the visit would draw criticism from China and South Korea. The US has never been disappointed that a foreign leader should visit a shrine honoring those who have died for their country. Shinzo Abe was the first Japanese PM to speak before both houses of Congress and to receive a standing ovation.

 The US has never been disappointed that a foreign leader should visit a shrine honoring those who have died for their country.

US has long been demanding Japan's PM not to visit the shrine, not openly but through diplomatic channel, which is well known in Japan.

If you don't beleive it, then think why US had not allowed Japan's PM to address before joint Congress untill Abe, and why US demanded apology included in his address.

US, like China and South Korea, still wants to force their fake history on Japan.

in japan, to say "you won't" doesn't nessary have the meaning as "i didn't". as nippon kaigi, she has to at least pay a private visit.

US has long been demanding Japan's PM not to visit the shrine, not openly but through diplomatic channel, which is well known in Japan.

How is it that message traffic in US-Japan diplomatic channel is so well known in Japan? Is US-Japan diplomatic traffic being made publicly available?

Frankly, I don't think most Americans are even aware of the Yasukuni Shrine and don't care who visits it.

It's important to preserve and pay tribute to the souls that sacrificed their lives for this country. But it does indeed become a problem when several war convicted are enshrined among many "regular" and good hearted soldiers!

The war convicted should've recieved an enshrinement at a different location. It would've been like if Hitler, Himmler and Mengele got buried in the same graves as "regular germans". We all know that the actions of Hitler and the "regular" germans can't even be compared!

This is why Japan has done something a little out of "no sense" on this issue! And for the respect of China and Korea I would rather not visit the shrine either, especially if you are a prime minister, who represents all of Japan not only the most conservatives and nationalistic.

 Is US-Japan diplomatic traffic being made publicly available?

By news articles.

Frankly, I don't think most Americans are even aware of the Yasukuni Shrine and don't care who visits it.

Then why do US papers like New York Times and everything else write negatively about the shrine visit?

It is great and honorable for any leader of a nation despite what or whom started what to pay respects for those fallen.  That act should not be involved in politics period. This lady Koike who says she is not interested in being a PM or seeking additional government positions sure has a strange way of showing it, and does the opposite. She has proven nothing but cause problems to Japan again and again. She does not follow through and instead is good at one thing running away from problems after she adds limelight and can't fix them but runs and stirs the pot of trouble again somewhere else.

tinawatanabeOct. 9 01:29 pm JST The US has never been disappointed that a foreign leader should visit a shrine honoring those who have died for their country.

US has long been demanding Japan's PM not to visit the shrine, not openly but through diplomatic channel, which is well known in Japan.

Substantiate that nonsense would you. Even a USMC General visited Yasukuni.

If you don't beleive it, then think why US had not allowed Japan's PM to address before joint Congress untill Abe, and why US demanded apology included in his address.

"Prime Minister Abe’s visit was the 77th official visit since 1951 by a Japanese leader, and his speech to a joint session of Congress was the first of its kind by any Japanese leader, though it was the fourth speech to any chamber. Shigeru Yoshida was the first Japanese Prime Minister to address either chamber when he spoke to the Senate in 1951. Mr. Abe’s grandfather, Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi spoke to the House of Representatives in 1957, as did Prime Minister Hayato Ikeda in 1961. Three earlier speeches were delivered by Japanese officials to House Receptions, including the first by Ambassador Tomomi Iwakura in 1872. Prior to his visit and speech, the first diplomatic interactions in Washington between the United States and Japan occurred in the summer of 1860 when a group of 77 samurai were sent by the Japanese government."

and why US demanded apology included in his address.

The U.S. did not "demand" an apology. Just as Japan did not "demand" an apology at the Obama visit to Hiroshima,

US, like China and South Korea, still wants to force their fake history on Japan.

Looks to me like China, South Korea and YOU are the writers of fake history.

Then why do US papers like New York Times and everything else write negatively about the shrine visit?

Because some news sources are influenced by China and South Korea. The NYT has a history of anti-Japan leanings. Try the Washington Post for the opposite. Don't see where you come off pointing fingers when your own Asahi Shinbun literally created the Comfort Women problem.