- Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Aug 15 sent a ritual offering to the controversial Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo, while the country’s defense chief Shinjiro Koizumi visited the site as Japan marks the 81st anniversary of the end of World War II.
- Koizumi became the first sitting defense minister confirmed to have visited the Shinto shrine on the anniversary since Minoru Kihara did so in 2024.
- Senior executives of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), including Secretary-General Shunichi Suzuki, visited the shrine together on Aug 15, which is considered extremely rare.
- Takaichi, a conservative, has previously visited Yasukuni during seasonal festivals and on the Aug 15 war anniversary before taking office in October 2025.
- The Yasukuni Shrine honors 14 convicted Japanese Class-A war criminals from World War II, making it a controversial site that has drawn rebukes from China and South Korea.
- Past visits by Japanese prime ministers and lawmakers to Yasukuni have drawn sharp rebukes from China and South Korea, which both suffered under Japan’s wartime aggression.
On August 15, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sent a ritual offering to the Yasukuni Shrine as Japan marked the 81st anniversary of its World War II surrender. This shrine is notorious for honoring 14 Class-A war criminals, including General Hideki Tojo, executed for crimes against peace.145
Takaichi, who paid for the offering out of her own pocket, has refrained from visiting the shrine since taking office, balancing pressure from conservative supporters with the need to maintain diplomatic relations with China and South Korea. “I fully understand how President Takaichi feels about the spirits of the war dead so I visited the shrine with her feelings in mind,” said LDP Secretary-General Shunichi Suzuki.36
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi also visited the shrine, becoming the first sitting defense minister to do so since Minoru Kihara in 2024. Kihara, now chief cabinet secretary, was among several senior officials from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) who visited the shrine, marking a rare occurrence for such high-ranking members to do so on this date. The LDP has faced backlash from neighboring countries due to the shrine's association with Japan's wartime aggression.2
The Yasukuni Shrine, a symbol of Japanese militarism, continues to evoke strong sentiments in Asia, highlighting the ongoing tensions stemming from Japan's wartime actions.
“Takaichi paid for the offering out of her own pocket as LDP president, while senior party executives including Secretary-General Shunichi Suzuki visited together, a rare collective move. The shrine honors 14 Class-A war criminals, and past visits have drawn sharp rebukes from China and South Korea.”
South China Morning Post
