Japan Press Weekly

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2013 April 17 - 23 [HISTORY]

JCP criticizes PM Abe for making offerings to Yasukuni Shrine

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi in a JCP speech rally in Kagoshima Prefecture on April 21 criticized Prime Minister Abe Shinzo’s making offerings to the Yasukuni Shrine as upholding its view that justifies Japan’s past war of aggression.

Abe earlier on the same day offered in dedication a ritual ornament to the shrine in the name of the prime minister on the occasion of the ongoing regular spring festival held by the shrine. He did the same thing when he was the prime minister in 2007.

The shrine also received visits by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Aso Taro, Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission Furuya Keiji, and Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato Katsunobu on April 21 and by Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications Shindo Yoshitaka on the previous day.

Ichida in the JCP rally pointed out that the Yasukuni Shrine has been proclaiming that Japan’s invasion of countries in Asia was a just war in self-defense. He condemned the members of the Abe Cabinet for visiting and supporting the Yasukuni Shrine.

The only prime ministers who have presented offerings to the shrine in the past other than Abe ware Nakasone Yasuhiro (1982-1987) and Aso Taro (2008-2009).