August 16, 2022

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party's Policy Chief Hagiuda Koichi and two Cabinet ministers, Economic Security Minister Takaichi Sanae and Reconstruction Minister Akiba Kenya, on August 15 offered their respect and prayers at the war-glorifying Yasukuni Shrine. Prime Minister Kishida Fumio made a private cash offering to the shrine as the LDP head. These acts run counter to the effort to create a peaceful East Asia.

Before and during the war, Yasukuni Shrine was administered by the military authorities. It played a part in mobilizing the people for the war of aggression because at that time, it was believed that fallen soldiers’ spirits would be enshrined together in Yasukuni as “war heroes”. After the war, Yasukuni Shrine has been playing a role as a propaganda vehicle beautifying Japan’s wars of aggression as wars “in self-defense” and “for liberation of Asia” and even enshrines Tojo Hideki and other Class-A war criminals.

Offering prayers or making offerings to Yasukuni Shrine by Cabinet ministers and the ruling party’s top officials is tantamount to proclaiming that they are ideologically in sync with the war-glorifying shrine.

Hagiuda at his first press conference as the LDP policy chief mentioned the Taiwan issue and said that the LDP’s top priority is to increase Japan’s military budget to the same level as NATO member states, at least 2% of GDP, within five years.

Takaichi, who formulated the LDP’s policy regarding a large military buildup as Hagiuda’s predecessor, became the minister in charge of economic security which is intimately related to the military field.

These people’s action indicates that they are in agreement with the war-glorifying ideology promoted by Yasukuni Shrine, which will only lead to intensifying tensions between neighboring countries.

What Japan should do is to face up to its past wars of aggression and colonial rule in a sincere manner.