Ministry of Foreign Affairs Expresses "Deep Disappointment and Regret" Over Kishida's Yasukuni Offering

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed regret over Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's offering of tribute to Yasukuni Shrine, where Class A war criminals of the Pacific War are enshrined, for the first time since his inauguration.

Choi Young-sam, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a spokesperson's commentary on the day, "The government expresses deep disappointment and regret over the repeated offerings of tribute or visits to Yasukuni Shrine by responsible Japanese leaders, which glorifies Japan's past aggressive war and enshrines war criminals."

Spokesperson Choi added, "The government urges responsible Japanese officials to face history squarely with the launch of the new cabinet and to demonstrate humble reflection and sincere remorse for the past through their actions."

According to Japanese media, on the day the autumn grand festival (Reitaisai) of Yasukuni Shrine began, Prime Minister Kishida offered a tribute called 'Masakaki' (眞神＜木＋神＞) under the name 'Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.' Masakaki refers to a type of evergreen tree branch offered at shrines or altars.

Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga also chose to offer tributes instead of visiting directly during his tenure on the Pacific War's end date (August 15) and during the spring and autumn grand festivals. Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe directly visited Yasukuni Shrine in December 2013, the year after his second term began, which sparked strong backlash from neighboring countries such as South Korea and China.

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. Of these, nearly 90%, or 2,133,000 spirits, are related to the Pacific War (December 1941 to August 1945), which Japan called the Greater East Asia War.

After Japan's defeat, seven Class A war criminals, including former Prime Minister Hideki Tojo, who was executed following 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 (1880?1950), a former Governor-General of Korea who died in prison after being sentenced to life imprisonment, were enshrined at Yasukuni following an enshrinement ceremony in 1978.

For this reason, Yasukuni Shrine is regarded as a 'sacred place' by the Japanese right-wing camp but is imprinted as a 'war shrine' enshrining war criminals' spirits by people in neighboring countries such as South Korea and China, who suffered under Japanese imperialist aggression.