Yasukuni Shrine visit "as prime minister" is unconstitutional -- Akahata editorial, May 18, 2001

Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro stated on May 14 that he will visit Yasukuni Shrine in his capacity as "the prime minister of Japan."

The Komei Party, a ruling coalition partner, has shown understanding by saying that "the prime minister seems to be willing to pay a personal visit and should cause no problem" (Komei Shimbun, May 16) even though Koizumi has said that a shrine visit can't be either official or private. This can be taken as approval of Koizumi's intention.

History shows Yasukuni Shrine has been used to glorify the war of aggression

Yasukuni Shrine was used as an ideological symbol of Japanese militarism to mobilize the people to support the war of aggression. After Japan's defeat in WWII, the shrine became a private religious institution with the Tokyo governor's certification. With Koizumi's visit to Yasukuni Shrine as prime minister, the shrine will again be given a privileged status. This goes against the constitutional principles of lasting peace, freedom of religion, and the separation of government and religion.

Before and during the war, state Shintoism was the dominant religion, and Yasukuni Shrine was a military-religious institution administered by the Departments of War and Navy. At the time, people were taught to offer their lives to "His Majesty" the emperor and the state in order to be praised as "heroic souls." Yasukuni Shrine was the place where imperial army soldiers had to pledge to fall as cherry blossoms of Kudan (the name of the district where Yasukuni Shrine is located); fallen soldiers' families had to express gratitude to the emperor for his mercy in tears; and young boys pledged to follow the example of the fallen soldiers.

After the War, Tojo Hideki, who was responsible for prosecuting the war of aggression, was secretly enshrined at Yasukuni Shrine in 1978. This suggests that Yasukuni Shrine has been used for glorifying militarism and the war of aggression, which is in violation of the constitutional principle of maintaining eternal peace.

Asian countries are voicing their criticism of the prime minister's planned official visit to the shrine where Class-A war criminals are enshrined.

In several lawsuits against attempts to give Yasukuni Shrine special status, local courts have made clear decisions finding such attempts unconstitutional.

In the lawsuit filed in Iwate Prefecture, the Sendai High Court ruled that local officials' visit to Yasukuni Shrine were unconstitutional, and its judgment was established in January 1991. Also, the Fukuoka High Court in February 1992 and the Osaka High Court in July 1992 ruled that such visits "may be" unconstitutional.

In 1997, the Supreme Court ruled that the Ehime Prefectural Government's use of public money to buy offerings to Yasukuni Shrine was a religious activity which the Constitution prohibits the state and its organs from engaging in.

Without regard for these strict court judgments, Prime Minister Koizumi has publicly expressed his willingness to visit Yasukuni Shrine to pay his respects and express gratitude to the war dead, saying that this has nothing to do with religious activity.

But without question, it is unconstitutional for the prime minister as a "state organ" to carry out a "religious activity" of worshiping at a shrine. Prime Minister Koizumi's excuse can't be justified.

About twenty years ago, then Prime Minister Nakasone Yasuhiro officially visited Yasukuni Shrine saying that every country provides its general public with a place to pay tribute to those who gave their lives to their country, and that if there is no such place in Japan no one would be willing to fight for Japan at the cost of their lives.

Prime Minister Koizumi is calling for the revision of the Constitution's Article 9 to meet the U.S. demand that Japan exercise the right to collective self-defense under the laws related to the Guidelines for Japan-U.S. Defense Cooperation, and endorses the government approval of a school textbook glorifying Japan's war of aggression and colonization of other Asian nations under militarism.

We can't overlook his intention of using the "souls of dead soldiers" enshrined in Yasukuni Shrine, who are the victims of the war of aggression, to lay the groundwork for new war dead.

How should he pay tribute to the war dead?

If P.M. Koizumi really wants to pay tribute and express gratitude to the war dead, he should work to maintain peace, refusing to participate in a war which will cause sacrifice and suffering to the people.

Struggles of democratic forces and religious circles have five times succeeded in preventing the enactment of a law for designating Yasukuni Shrine as a state-run shrine. Let's develop the movement and increase public opinion against the prime minister's official visit to Yasukuni Shrine. (end)