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© Thomson Reuters 2022.Kishida makes donation to Yasukuni shrine; cabinet members visit
By Elaine Lies TOKYO©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
48 Comments
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deanzaZZR
Queue the 日華滿協辦天下太平 war time propaganda posters.
RIP victims on all sides. War criminals are another story.
Mr Kipling
Zoroto....
If you took out all the hereditary politicians from the Diet it would be a very quiet place. Still, a good idea.
Alex
Yellowstone, many Western countries have admitted to the atrocities they have committed, which is one of the biggest differences. Germany with regards to the Holocaust, the United States with regard to the atomic bombs. Many high schools in the United States have serious discussions about whether or not we should have used just one, let alone two nuclear bombs, just to end the war. We discuss the unfair internment of Japanese Americans at that time. We write books and make movies about it. A former president, President Obama, has visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial as well.
The trouble is, a lot of what Japan did is not discussed in Japan, and not even taught. Completely left out of history books. And some of the atrocities committed by Japan are utterly horrifying. When you know the histories, it becomes understandable why Japan's neighbors still have a feud with the country. Here's an example of the medical torture I referred to before:
http://www.lit.osaka-cu.ac.jp/user/tsuchiya/gyoseki/presentation/TRT5.html
OssanAmerica
So,,,you were there to witness this? LOL
oyatoi
Au contraire. The penny dropped after that first visit and was amply confirmed by three more.
Simon Foston
Japan has events for that and they're held at publicly-owned venues, not a private shrine.
No, they should all go without masks and make sure they get as close to other visitors as possible.
藤原
Better then attending that Korean unification Christian religion that probably most of these same nationalist politicians support.
Simon Foston
OssanAmericaAug. 15 10:07 pm JST
Before that they helped the British kick the Japanese out of Asia.
MilesTeg
It's common knowledge that Japan envied the US and GB and yearned to be like them, a superpower, but in Asia. The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere was merely propaganda to fool the Japanese populace and Western nations into thinking it wasn't a military operation. It was from the start a military operation and not a diplomatic initiative. To be a superpower in the region they needed territory and resources. This was always their goal from the beginning.
The Avenger
As expected.
Yrral
Happy VJ Day,we do not celebrate Japanese lost in America anymore,why should they
funkymofo
Wouldn’t it be nice if Japan squarely faced its wartime past,
Yrral
Ossan,have you studied American history something every American have to study
Chottobaka
So what? The usual whiners will get their knickers in a knot no matter what.
Simon Foston
TokyoLivingToday 05:19 am JST
Respect their laws? Tell their politicians that.
Ah, the old "their country..." spiel. I was wondering when someone would regurgitate it. How about:
Their Constitution.
If politicians want to visit Yasukuni Shrine for votes, cash and publicity, they should change it.
Simon Foston
YellowstormToday 09:30 am JST
Don't kid yourself that the Japanese were coming as heroic liberators. They just wanted to replace western imperialism with Japanese imperialism, which turned out to be so awful Asians soon sided with the British to kick them out.
dagon
The Japanese public suffering from inflation and falling wages.
The ruling party having its ties to a religious cult and Dentsu oligarchic propaganda agency exposed.
LDP: Good time to make an Obon visit to honor our militarist ancestors.
xin xin
It is Japan's own business and it is not against anyone, so other countries should not use this as their ATM for extortionary purposes.
deanzaZZR
Is there a stall around the corner from Yasukuni to exchange trees for cash? Asking for a friend.
oyatoi
The Yushukan museum, located next to the shrine, promotes the belief that Japan went to war to save Asia from western imperialism. The museum makes no mention of Japanese wartime atrocities committed in Asia, such as the 1937 Rape of Nanking.
Visit it and weep.
MilesTeg
Ah yes...the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. Another huge lie and attempt to whitewash their responsibility and come out as victims.
kaimycahl
@Yrral INCORRECT the person who is telling the "STORY" writes HIS-tory!!!
Victors write history
funkymofo
The idea that Japan was in any way interested in the emancipation of Asia is belied by the massive and systematic infliction of some of the most vile and disgusting war crimes ever recorded throughout the entire region.
Alan Bogglesworth
Get those votes big boy
Alex
Agreed, oyatoi and funkymofo. As I said in another post, leaving aside the war criminals enshrined at Yasukuni, the museum itself is an abomination. After what Japan did to the people in its neighboring countries, only to paint themselves as innocent "protectors"? Nah. I encourage everyone to read a book about the rape of Nanking, the torture inflicted on Korean and Chinese men "for science", experimented on while these men were still alive, and then go to the museum by Yasukuni and not be upset about every single one of these nightmarish atrocities being completely left out of the so-called "history" documented there.
kurisupisu
Why would Koshida not give a donation to a homeless charity?
After all poverty is rising in Japan and it might be a better use of our tax money....
Spitfire
You just knew that Sanae Takaichi would be one of the first to visit the shrine.
Her priority to show off her right wing credentials far outweighs a politicians real job that is to make life better for everyone in their nation.
These LDP politicians care not a jot for their electorate.......even after the aftermath of Abe's killing they only want to be first at the trough.
MilesTeg
There are many places people can go to commemorate the war dead in Japan aside from Yasukuni Shrine including the National Cemetery in Chidorigafuchi.
The list is here: https://www.nippon.com/en/in-depth/a02402/#:~:text=Notable%20examples%20include%20the%20Hiroshima,and%20the%20Kaiten%20Memorial%20Hall
People, especially politicians, go to Yasukuni to make a political statement to anger their Asian neighbors they invaded. There are plenty of other places to go without Class A war criminals. And then they turn around and support the Moonies which is in essence a Korean cult. No morals, values, integrity.
Yrral
Victors write history
MilesTeg
The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere was the public excuse. Japan’s goal was always imperialistic and was about natural resources and territory. It had nothing to do with saving Asian nations from Western hegemony.
Japan was afraid of Western hegemony and their plan was to expand their territory and increase their resources to fight it by taking territory and resources from other countries. There wasn’t anything benevolent about it.
The result was increased US military presence and influence in the region not just the independence of Asian countries. I can’t believe you’re giving credit to Japan for the rise of independence.
oyatoi
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-47796046
TokyoLiving
Their country..
Their religion..
Their culture..
Their Laws..
Take a deep breath and respect..
Can't you get used to it?, there are more countries..
BigP
Fascist old men & women.
OssanAmerica
Sorry but unless you were alive in 1940 and a member of the Imperial Japanese Army High Command, you are guessing. The error you are making is that they are mutually exclusive. The Co-Prosperity Sphere was an actual economic component of the aggressive advance, the purpose of which was to secure resouces (mainly oil) and to expand the territory as a defense perimeter. The Co-Prosperity Sphere was never an "excuse". It very much rested upon freeing Asian nations from European colonial rule. However it did not function as intended because of Japan's military losses. But the effect remained afterwards and nations like Burma, Indonesia, Phillipines, India all became independent after 1945.
Yellowstorm
Was not Asia under yoke of Western Imperialism at the time of the war????
smithinjapan
Hope they don't complain when China starts moving into or firing rockets into Japans EEZ again. And that thaw with SK? Not going to happen when these idiots do this.
rcch
“ Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida sent an offering to a controversial Tokyo shrine for war dead visited by members of his cabinet on Monday, the 77th anniversary of Japan's World War Two surrender … “
*let ‘em do it; — *their country, their people, their history, their shrine (!)
..
" It is natural for any country to pay respect to those who gave their lives for their country "
..
” … moves set to anger South Korea and China. “
pfff let them talk …
Randy Johnson
Abe was painted as a right-wing nationalist.
According to that thought, kishida will make Abe look like PM Murayama.
Eastmann
Fumio could donate to hard hit aftercovid families instead. who having hard times to pay all their bills...but yes clown is just walking in shoes of his predecessors...leaving real problems beside and just provoking asian neigbours with this meaningless action...poor mr empty suit
OssanAmerica
You obviously have not been there. There is nothing about going to war to "save Asia". The specfic reason given for going to war was the fear of European colonization. And the British treatment of Qing China is highlighted. You should try visiting.
The Greater Co-Prosperity Sphere was not an excuse created later to whitewash anything. It was very much part of the invasion of Southeast Asia. The problem was that while it started by the book, as Japan took military losses it lost it's steam and the people of the occupied nations no longer found it credible. However, components of it resulted in nations ridding themselves of Eurpean colonial control and seek independence.