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Japan marks WWII anniversary with PM’s Yasukuni offering and defense chief visit
The prime minister’s offering was paid for personally, while the defense minister’s on-site visit follows criticism from China and South Korea over past shrine trips.
Japan marked the 81st anniversary of the end of World War Two with a ritual offering to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo from Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, while Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi visited the site on Saturday, according to SCMP Economy.
The shrine honors Japanese leaders convicted as war criminals, and prior visits by Japanese prime ministers and lawmakers have drawn sharp rebukes from China and South Korea, both of which were victimized by Japan’s wartime aggression, SCMP Economy reported.
SCMP Economy said sources expect Takaichi, a conservative, to refrain from visiting the shrine on the war anniversary. It also reported that Takaichi, as president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, paid for the offering out of her own pocket, citing a senior party executive.
SCMP Economy added that Koizumi was the first sitting defence minister confirmed to have visited the Shinto shrine on the anniversary since Minoru Kihara did so on August 15, 2024. Kihara is now chief cabinet secretary in Takaichi’s government, with SCMP Economy also noting the roles of other officials mentioned in the report.