Cabinet members visit war-linked Yasukuni Shrine; Kishida sends offering

Just don’t report these visits. They will then soon stop.

I'm sure this will in no way cause any controversy whatsoever.

War is Death of Innocence and also Death of Life if death occurs.

This is how Japanese politicians gaining political funds by showing their loyalty like a dog to wealthy old men!

The radical right had their loud speakers going up and down yasukuni dori also. The military pass of Japan and the glorification of war criminals, with lack of respect for Asian counterparts on the rejection of political admiration of these people, just gives Japanese politicians the oppertuity to tick them off and play to the radical right of Japan who day dream of the past.

BigPToday  12:05 pm JST

Just don’t report these visits. They will then soon stop.

Good idea but I suspect the domestic media have strict instructions to make sure they are reported.

Look at the big black ministerial car and SPs swarming around. Looks awfully official for a private visit, doesn't it

Japan invaded a vast swath of China before the end of World War II and ruled the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945.

It is sometimes hard for Westerners to grasp when Japan's Asian neighbors object to its highest officials honoring war criminals and its militarist past. I saw as an American how now even the US and Vietnam have a warm relationship now.

Then I saw the fact that out of the hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of Chinese taken prisoner by the Japanese Army, only 56 returned at the end of the war.

https://www.britannica.com/video/222390/aftereffects-World-War-II-China

There were better odds of surviving the Nazi death camps.

After that, the amount of contrition shown by the LDP seems insufficient, especially compared to Germany for example.

I don't understand why people complain about Yasukunis visits. War is over get over it! You can't heal looking backwards. Healing starts moving forward.

I don't understand why people complain about Yasukunis visits.

It should not be too difficult to see that honoring also war criminals can be seen as an implicit justification of the war and a thinly veiled desire to repeat the same actions in the future, there is a reason why far right extremists in Japan (Uyoku dantai) give the shrine a lot of importance and consider the criminals martyrs that should be an example.

"It should not be too difficult to see that honoring also war criminals can be seen as an implicit justification of the war and a thinly veiled desire to repeat the same actions in the future, there is a reason why far right extremists in Japan (Uyoku dantai) give the shrine a lot of importance and consider the criminals martyrs that should be an example."

Well, you have "war criminal" and who made you the Judge of character? Or you are just repeating what others said.

CephusToday  02:34 pm JST

I don't understand why people complain about Yasukunis visits

They're basically unconstitutional for politicians, who only give there because it gets them media attention, votes and cash donations from gullible neo-nazis.

Well, you have "war criminal" and who made you the Judge of character?

What would that have to do with anything? nothing in your quote is a personal opinion nor based on a personal determination.

Or you are just repeating what others said.

What others have demonstrated, you make no argument against anything expressed, which means you are just complaining about arguments that you did not like but can't do anything against.

I don't understand why people complain about Yasukunis visits. War is over get over it! You can't heal looking backwards. Healing starts moving forward.

You cannot heal when the grandchildren of the warmongers deny their ancestors’ actions during that war.

I have a great-grandparent enshrined there, but I’d rather pay my respects privately at the family cemetery, as well as pay visits to my local shrines.

I wonder how often these politicians pay respects to their family cemeteries and local shrines…

War criminals, Yes, some are but also they are patriot to their country. A War Memorial is for the fallen and a place to give respect to those patriots on both sides that gave the ultimate.

Three cabinet ministers visited the controversial Yasukuni shrine on Thursday, the 79th anniversary of the end of World War II, while Prime Minister Fumio Kishida sent a ritual offering.

—

They’re not “glorifying” war criminals—they’re honoring/remembering the millions (seriously, do the math) who gave their lives for the country. It’s called respect.

—

Yasukuni is not far from where I live in Tokyo and it’s one of my favorite jinjas. One of the most important places in Japan and everyone should go there at least once.

“What would that have to do with anything? nothing in your quote is a personal opinion nor based on a personal determination.”

You used the term “war criminals” if the solders in that war are accused under core international crimes and found guilty then it’s appropriate to refer to them as war criminals but if they were never accused in a legal judicial system what gives you or someone else the right to call them war criminals.

“What others have demonstrated, you make no argument against anything expressed, which means you are just complaining about arguments that you did not like but can't do anything against.”

Always going in circles, what others have demonstrated? Through what “name calling”? Look on issue objectively with less emotions and feelings.

Don't even bother arguing with these apologists. The brutal truth of Japanese war crimes is clear to all with eyes to see. War criminals are enshrined at Yasukuni. 'nuff said.

”You cannot heal when the grandchildren of the warmongers deny their ancestors’ actions during that war.

I have a great-grandparent enshrined there, but I’d rather pay my respects privately at the family cemetery, as well as pay visits to my local shrines.

I wonder how often these politicians pay respects to their family cemeteries and local shrines…”@KG

First things first there is something called rules of engagement even during war time such as avoiding unnecessary harm. However it’s unfair to accuse the children for The children can be accused atrocities or lack of their ancestors. And I’m sorry to hear you have a grandparent enshrined there and I hope we agree to disagree war in any shape or form is not a good thing.

You used the term “war criminals” if the solders in that war are accused under core international crimes and found guilty then it’s appropriate to refer to them as war criminals 

They are, once again you are accusing people based exclusively on ignoring something extremely well known. The way to solve this is to first read and inform yourself instead of complaining for something everybody but you know already.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controversies_surrounding_Yasukuni_Shrine

However, of the 2,466,532 men named in the shrine's Book of Souls, 1066 are war criminals convicted by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, following World War II (eleven men were convicted of Class A war crimes; one was charged with Class A but found guilty of lesser Class B war crimes); a further two men were charged with Class A but died before or during trial so were never convicted as war criminals.

So, as everybody knows (except apparently you) they are war criminals.

Always going in circles, what others have demonstrated? 

There is no circle, the argument is clear and can be demonstrated objectively. War criminals are enshrined in Yasukuni which make the site something far right extremists use to promote imperialism and war.

The only one reacting with emotions and feelings about this has been you, feeling threatened when anyone makes the argument that the reason you don't understand the issue is because you have never had the interest to inform yourself about it (yet forging deeply entrenched opinions based on that lack of knowledge)

However it’s unfair to accuse the children for The children can be accused atrocities or lack of their ancestors

The text you are quoting do not say the children are accused for atrocities of their ancestors (nor for "lack of their ancestors"?) the quote is clearly saying that the thing the children would do that is wrong is to deny those atrocities.

rcchToday  03:42 pm JST

They’re not “glorifying” war criminals—they’re honoring/remembering the millions (seriously, do the math) who gave their lives for the country.

What, they say that and you believe it?

It’s called respect.

For you, maybe. For them it's called good PR.

"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controversies_surrounding_Yasukuni_Shrine"@virusex

Thanks but no thanks virusex, wikipedia is not a reliable source of information. With all respects even when I was in highschool there was a rule never use wikipedia as a resource.

If War is a crime then war criminals are guilty of war?

It is complex.

Japan is complex

Terrible optics....again..

Thanks but no thanks virusex, wikipedia is not a reliable source of information

Wikipedia is not the primary source, it has links to the primary sources, those sources still say the same thing, of course no amount of evidence will change the mind of someone that prefer to ignore things and have opinions based on that lack of knowledge.

"Wikipedia is not the primary source, it has links to the primary sources, those sources still say the same thing, of course no amount of evidence will change the mind of someone that prefer to ignore things and have opinions based."

And that's the problem of wikipedia "he said, she said" with links or extension of the same, you can't learn anything useful from such at times misleading garbage.

Why announce it, if someone wants to visit the place that is their choice NO NEED to tell the world about it bcz. very very few care.

WoodyLeeToday  07:09 pm JST

Why announce it, if someone wants to visit the place that is their choice NO NEED to tell the world about it bcz. very very few care.

LDP politicians believe that people who vote for them and give them money care.

China started complaining about visits to Yasukuni Shrine long after the war. And its stooge, Korea, followed suit.

It's just a political and diplomatic card for China against Japan.

Even Chinese President Zhou Enlai has visited the shrine (as written in his diary), but after his death, the Chinese Communist Party started saying they didn't like the visits.

It's the same situation as when they started claiming that the Senkaku Islands were Chinese territory after undersea resources were discovered.

Korea is only following Japan because its boss, China, is attacking Japan.

Even though it's a shrine, they always say things like there are remains of Korean soldiers there and they should be returned.

The fact that Class A war criminals are enshrined there is just an afterthought.

It's up to Japan to decide who to enshrine. It's normal for war dead to be enshrined at Yasukuni.

In the first place, unlike culturally backward countries like Korea, developed countries should basically be ruled by law.

The leaders who were deemed Class A criminals at the Tokyo Trials were simply tried by retroactive law. Laws are not retroactive. Justice Pal of India was right.

Agent_NeoToday  07:45 pm JST

It's up to Japan to decide who to enshrine. It's normal for war dead to be enshrined at Yasukuni.

No it is not. Yasukuni is a private religious establishment and so it is up to the priests at the shrine. Do you not know these basic details about the place?

Justice Pal of India was right.

He also said there was overwhelming evidence that war crimes were committed by members of the Japanese military. He was right about that too.

Their country..

Their Religion..

Their culture..

Their traditions..

Their rules..

In one way or another, ALL countries honor their military, whether they are criminals or not..

And the vast majority throughout history were criminals, get over it...

If the emperor, who was the rule at that time, doesn't pay any visit, what the commoners do doesn't make any sense. But don't get me wrong. What annoys me is only the cosplayers.

And that's the problem of wikipedia "he said, she said" with links or extension of the same, you can't learn anything useful from such at times misleading garbage.

That is not a problem, the link give access to reputable sources, evidence, those are NOT "he said, she said". The problem is when you are confronted with evidence of a mistaken opinion you had, rational people would immediately correct that opinion, but those without an interest on actually knowing what is correct will instead reject the evidence with the excuse that any and all links are "misleading garbage" when that is too obviously not the case.

China started complaining about visits to Yasukuni Shrine long after the war. And its stooge, Korea, followed suit.

China and Korea are not the only ones that complain, and the reality that the Japanese extremists use the shrine as an excuse to promote their views is clear, that alone would justify complaints.

TokyoLivingToday  01:09 am JSTT

Their country..

Their Religion.

Someone always parrots this claptrap as if it's awfully clever.

Their constitution. It prohibits politicians from being officially involved in religious activities.

ALL countries honor their military, whether they are criminals or not..

Japan does have a state war memorial service, it is not held at Yasukuni.

Get a clue about some of this before you go squawking that old their country their culture stuff.

＠Simon Foston

He also said there was overwhelming evidence that war crimes were committed by members of the Japanese military. He was right about that too.

Judge Pearl did not see any evidence, nor did he actually hand down a ruling. He merely inferred from hearsay that the Japanese military committed atrocities.

If such evidence exists, I would love to see it. Even now, Koreans would be thrilled if there was evidence of Korean prostitutes who were allegedly forcibly taken away by the Japanese military, and the Chinese Communist Party would surely make a big fuss about it if there was evidence of the Nanjing Massacre.

Of course I'm not saying there is nothing at all, but unfortunately for you, there is very little that is truly proven about the atrocities of the Japanese military.

Agent_NeoToday  01:24 pm JST

Judge Pearl did not see any evidence, nor did he actually hand down a ruling. He merely inferred from hearsay that the Japanese military committed atrocities.

He said the evidence existed. I think he probably had a better grasp of the facts than you do.

If such evidence exists, I would love to see it.

You would just find excuses for ignoring it or not believing it. You have clearly been too thoroughly indoctrinated to react any other way. That's the problem with letting defeated war criminals run a country again and get control over the media and education system.

Yasukuni shrine is deifying also shameless who praise dying for the state and who cornered soldiers including teenagers to Kamikaze attack or who force general public to cooperate the war and who victimized but themselves avoid battle and survived the war.

4123Today  06:14 pm JST

Yasukuni shrine is deifying also shameless who praise dying for the state and who cornered soldiers including teenagers to Kamikaze attack or who force general public to cooperate the war and who victimized but themselves avoid battle and survived the war.

Right. These people blundered cluelessly into a war that left Japan devastated and then let it turn into an American vassal state. Some of them did alright for themselves into the bargain. I don't know why any right-minded Japanese would want to excuse or defend them.

リッチAug. 15  01:37 pm JST

The radical right had their loud speakers going up and down yasukuni dori also. The military pass of Japan and the glorification of war criminals, with lack of respect for Asian counterparts on the..

The right wing in Japan are nothing but a bunch of loud annoying silly cosplaying losers.

The 14 Class A War Criminals are enshrined there (names written just like the 2,5 million others) not "glorified".

Asian counterparts welcome the JSDF and even train with them. Welcome to 2024.

@Simon Foston

If evidence exists from the past, it should be available to see even now, so why can't they present anything?

After all, the idea that the Japanese military was cruel is nothing more than a scapegoat for the Allied powers, who were even crueler than the Japanese military.

I'm not saying that the Japanese military never committed any atrocities.

If such acts were alleged to have occurred, have China, Korea, and other countries presented convincing evidence? The question is, no convincing evidence has ever been presented.

For example, the Chinese Communist Party announced that 300,000 people were massacred in Nanjing, China, but a survey of residents conducted by UNICEF at the time found that there were only 260,000 residents.

Also, there are photos of the Japanese military entering the city after the fall of Nanjing, and the Chinese people are welcoming the Japanese military. Why would a situation occur where all the residents are massacred after that?

Chiang Kai-shek, who ruled Nanjing at the time, has never made a single statement related to the massacre after the war. I wonder why that is?

@4123

"See you at Yasukuni," said the young members of the special attack squadrons who died defending Japan, and this is not something to be casually insulted.

Your idea of ​​justice is not the justice of the Japanese people.