Increasing remarks in approval of war of aggression

Liberal Democratic Party politicians, including the prime minister, are now more open in expressing their approval of Japan's war of aggression in World War II.

On February 10, Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro said he does not have any objection to Class-A war criminals being enshrined at Yasukuni Shrine, which served as a war shrine instrumental to increase popular support for Japan's war of aggression. "This position of mine will not be influenced by foreign criticisms," he added.

Koizumi also said he would not change his mind due to another country's criticisms.

Stating this at a House of Representatives special committee meeting convened to discuss the dispatch of the Self-Defense Forces to Iraq, Koizumi apparently tried to express his approval of war of Japan's aggression against other countries.

Class-A war criminals were leaders at the center of Japan's war of aggression and were tried by the Tokyo Tribunal for their offenses against peace and humanity. Yasukuni Shrine deifies 14 Class-A war criminals as martyrs, which means that it approves the war of aggression as just.

Yasukuni Shrine is peculiar in that it is dedicated only to "heroes who died for the emperor", not to the war dead in general.

Akahata of February 12 said that the prime minister's approval of the enshrinement of Class-A war criminals goes against the pledge Japan made to the effect that it will renounce war and share with the international community the view that a ban on wars of aggression is a postwar principle.

Also on February 10, 43 Dietmembers from the Liberal Democratic and Democratic parties visited Meiji Shrine to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Japan's declaration of war against Russia.

Japan fought the war against Tzarist Russia with the aim of controlling north-east China and Korea.

Praising the aggression against Russia, former minister in charge of economic and trade policy Hiranuma Takeo, who was among the visitors, said, "We will carry on their patriotism of dealing with national crises with one mind." Japan after the end of the Russo-Japan War in 1905 continued aggression by making Korea its protectorate.

The Dietmembers who visited the war shrine are preparing to establish an association to take lessons from the Russo-Japan War. (end)