Former Japanese Prime Minister Suga Visits Yasukuni Shrine (Comprehensive)

Prime Minister Kishida Hideshi Offers Tribute

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jin-ho Kim] Former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga paid a visit to Yasukuni Shrine, where Class A war criminals from the Pacific War are enshrined, on the 17th for the first time since his retirement.

According to major foreign media reports, former Prime Minister Suga visited the shrine on the day the autumn grand festival (memorial service) at Yasukuni Shrine began, and told reporters, "I came as the former Prime Minister."

Former Prime Minister Suga's visit to Yasukuni Shrine came 13 days after his retirement. He served as prime minister for about one year.

Earlier, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also offered tribute at Yasukuni Shrine for the first time since taking office on the same day.

Meanwhile, Yasukuni Shrine, located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, is a facility that honors the spirits of approximately 2,466,000 people who died in civil wars after the Meiji Restoration and numerous wars waged by Imperial Japan.

After Japan's defeat, seven individuals including former Prime Minister Hideki Tojo, who was sentenced to death by hanging through the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal (International Military Tribunal for the Far East), and 14 Class A war criminals who led the Pacific War, including former Prime Minister Kuniaki Koiso, a former Governor-General of Korea who died in prison after being sentenced to life imprisonment, were enshrined at Yasukuni in 1978 following a joint enshrinement ceremony.