August 16, 2020

A record high of four ministers of the Prime Minister Abe Shinzo-led administration on August 15 paid a visit to the war-glorifying Yasukuni Shrine. PM Abe sent a ritual offering to the shrine as usual.

The four are Internal Affairs Minister Takaichi Sanae, Education Minister Hagiuda Koichi, Environment Minister Koizumi Shinjiro, and Minister in charge of Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs Eto Seiichi.

Later on the same day at a street speech near Ikebukuro Station to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII, Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Koike Akira condemned the four ministers’ Yasukuni visit on this very day. He also criticized PM Abe’s offering of a ceremonial tree to the shrine as unconstitutional.

Koike pointed out that Abe Cabinet members visited the Yasukuni Shrine, which glorifies Japan’s past war of aggression, on the occasion of the end-of-war memorial day for the first time since 2016 and that four ministers conducted the visit. “It is totally unforgivable,” said Koike.

Referring to the Yasukuni Shrine’s history, Koike explained that the shrine was originally built within the jurisdiction of the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy ministries as a facility to mourn the death of military personnel. He added that during wartime, the shrine served as a spiritual mainstay in mobilizing the people to Japan’s war of aggression. Furthermore, Koike pointed out that even at present, the shrine justifies the past war of aggression and is not dedicated to the civilian war dead such as A-bomb victims.

Koike said, “Cabinet members’ visit to the Yasukuni Shrine does not lead to fulfilling Japan’s pledge to not wage war ever again or toward paying tribute to the war dead. On the contrary, their visit tramples on the demand of war victims and bereaved families that no one become victims in wars.” He said that the JCP will urge Cabinet ministers to never again visit the war-glorifying shrine.

Past related articles:
> Reshuffled Abe Cabinet reflects Abe's rightwing, anti-constitution position: JCP Koike [October 3, 2018]
> All new Abe Cabinet ministers from LDP are members of ‘Yasukuni’ faction [ August 5, 2016]