'Taikaichi' Lawmaker Pays Individual Tribute
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba Offers Ritual Dedication
Foreign Ministry Urges "Direct Confrontation with History and Reflection" in Statement
On the 17th, offerings donated by Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba were placed at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, Japan. Photo by Yonhap News
On April 22, approximately 70 Japanese lawmakers visited Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, where Class-A war criminals from the Pacific War are enshrined. The South Korean government expressed regret over the visit and urged Japan to "face history directly and demonstrate sincere reflection and genuine remorse for past wrongdoings."
According to Kyodo News and NHK, around 70 lawmakers from the Liberal Democratic Party, the Constitutional Democratic Party, and other parties who are members of the nonpartisan parliamentary group "Association of Lawmakers for Visiting Yasukuni Shrine Together" participated in the shrine visit on this day, during Yasukuni Shrine's annual spring festival. Hiroyuki Togashi, who serves as Vice Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications in the cabinet of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, was also among the attendees.
Ichiro Aisawa, a member of the House of Representatives who participated in the visit, told reporters, "This year marks 80 years since the end of the war," and added, "We visited the shrine to ensure that the history of postwar Japan's prosperity and peace, built on the sacrifices of many souls, is never forgotten." The group visits Yasukuni Shrine together every year during the spring and autumn festivals, as well as on August 15.
Sanae Takaichi, a former Minister for Economic Security and a prominent figure who advanced to the final round in last year's Liberal Democratic Party presidential election, visited the shrine individually. Takaichi stated, "I offered my deep gratitude to the souls of those who died in service."
On the previous day, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba did not visit the shrine but instead dedicated an offering known as "masakaki." The last time a sitting Japanese prime minister visited Yasukuni Shrine was in 2013, when then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made a visit.
Yasukuni Shrine commemorates the spirits of approximately 2,466,000 people who died in civil wars following the Meiji Restoration and in numerous wars waged by Imperial Japan. Nearly 90 percent of those enshrined are connected to the Pacific War. Among them are 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).
The South Korean government expressed disappointment and regret regarding these developments. In a statement, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lee Jaewoong said, "The government expresses deep disappointment and regret that responsible Japanese leaders have once again offered tributes or paid visits to Yasukuni Shrine, which glorifies Japan's past wars of aggression and enshrines war criminals."
He further emphasized, "Our government urges responsible Japanese leaders to face history directly and demonstrate sincere reflection and genuine remorse for past wrongdoings through their actions," adding, "This is an important foundation for building a future-oriented Korea-Japan relationship based on mutual trust."
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