Government: "Deep Disappointment and Regret over Japan's Yasukuni Shrine Offerings and Visits"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The government expressed regret over Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and other senior Japanese officials paying tribute or offering sacred offerings at Yasukuni Shrine, where Class A war criminals from World War II are enshrined, on the 15th, the day marking Japan’s defeat in the war.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a spokesperson’s statement on the day, saying, "The government deeply expresses disappointment and regret over the fact that responsible Japanese leaders have once again offered sacred offerings or repeatedly paid respects at Yasukuni Shrine, which glorifies Japan’s past aggressive war and enshrines war criminals."

It added, "The government urges responsible Japanese leaders to face history squarely and demonstrate humble reflection and sincere remorse for the past through their actions," emphasizing, "This is an important foundation for the future-oriented development of Korea-Japan relations."

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has responded at the spokesperson’s statement level to Prime Minister Kishida’s annual offerings at Yasukuni Shrine or visits by Japanese cabinet members on the day marking Japan’s defeat since his inauguration in October 2021. Compared to previous years, this year’s statement included an added emphasis on "an important foundation for the future-oriented development of Korea-Japan relations."

According to Kyodo News, Prime Minister Kishida offered a tamagushi (a sacred sakaki tree branch decorated with white paper strips) at Yasukuni Shrine in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, on the morning of the day.

Current cabinet members including Defense Minister Minoru Kihara and Minister in charge of Economic Revitalization Yoshitaka Shindo visited Yasukuni Shrine to pay respects in person. This marks the fifth consecutive year since 2020 that sitting Japanese cabinet members have visited Yasukuni Shrine on the day marking Japan’s defeat.

Yasukuni Shrine commemorates the spirits of approximately 2.466 million people who died in civil wars around the time of the Meiji Restoration and numerous wars waged by Imperial Japan. It also enshrines 14 Class A war criminals from the Pacific War, including former Prime Minister Hideki Tojo, who were executed following the International Military Tribunal for the Far East (Tokyo Trials).