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Japanese leadership Yasukuni Shrine visits

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2026-08-15 06:40 UTC → 2026-08-15 06:53 UTC · added ~~removed~~

As the 81st anniversary of the end of World War II approached, Japanese leadership faced a dilemma regarding visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, a site that honors Japan’s war dead including 14 Class-A war criminals. On August 14 and 15, 2026, several high-ranking officials conducted visits to the shrine. Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and Economic Security Minister Kimi Onoda were among those in attendance, alongside senior members of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), including Secretary-General Shunichi Suzuki. This marked the seventh consecutive year a sitting cabinet minister visited on this date. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi opted to forgo a formal personal visit, choosing instead to offer a private ritual offering, known as ‘tamagushi-ryo’, at her own expense in her capacity as LDP president. This distinction is viewed as an attempt to avoid direct diplomatic friction. During her address at the national memorial service, Takaichi described Japan as a ‘shining lighthouse in the Indo-Pacific,’ though she notably omitted terms such as ‘reflection’, ‘lessons’, ‘remorse’, and the ‘pledge of non-war’ that had been used by her predecessor, Shigeru Ishiba. The visits drew strong condemnation from neighboring countries. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs lodged a formal protest, describing the actions as a ‘provocation against the post-war international ~~order.’~~ order’ and a ‘challenge to the bottom line of civilization.’ Similarly, South Korean lawmakers expressed regret, viewing the visits as provocative and ~~the shrine as a symbol of~~ anachronistic actions that undermine diplomatic trust and symbolize Japan's imperialistic past.

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