65% of Japanese Citizens Say Prime Minister Should Visit Yasukuni Shrine

10%P Increase Compared to 2015
Basic Spirit of Peace Constitution Supported
Only 20% Responded to Self-Defense Forces Upgraded to Military

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to a survey, about two out of three Japanese people believe that the Japanese Prime Minister should visit Yasukuni Shrine, where the war criminals of the Pacific War are enshrined.

On the 4th, the Tokyo Shimbun reported that the Japan Opinion Research Association conducted a mail survey from June to July targeting 3,000 men and women aged 18 and over nationwide (with 1,774 valid respondents). The results showed that 65% answered that the Japanese Prime Minister should visit Yasukuni Shrine. Compared to the 2015 survey, the response in favor of visiting increased by 10 percentage points. Those who answered that the visit should not be made accounted for only 32%.

Additionally, 61% responded that it is not a problem for Self-Defense Forces officers to visit Yasukuni Shrine.

Professor Kimura Sota of Tokyo Metropolitan University pointed out, "Visiting Yasukuni Shrine is incompatible with Japan's postwar national policy of reflecting on its aggression and also violates the separation of religion and state. It seems that many citizens' awareness of this has weakened."

However, 68% of respondents answered that the Self-Defense Forces should strictly adhere to the principle of exclusive self-defense (the right to exercise defense only when attacked). Only 20% supported revising the constitution to explicitly designate the Self-Defense Forces as a military. This indicates that respondents supporting the basic spirit of the pacifist constitution were relatively more numerous.

Regarding Japan's actions in the event of an emergency in Taiwan, 54% chose "non-military responses such as diplomacy and economic measures." This was followed by "rear support such as supply and transportation for the US military (33%)" as the second most common response. Only 9% answered that Japan should exercise the right of collective self-defense and also engage in military action.