August 16, 2026

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Koike Akira, at a street rally held in Okinawa’s Naha City on August 15, protested against cabinet ministers and top LDP officials visiting Yasukuni Shrine as well as Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae offering a ritual donation to the shrine.

Koike stated, “Yasukuni Shrine is not merely a place to ‘mourn’ the war dead. It justifies and glorifies Japan’s past war of aggression as a ‘just war’ and even maintains a museum dedicated to that purpose. It is, in fact, a national religious facility designed to promote wars of aggression.” He continued, “Paying respects at this facility is tantamount to demonstrating to the world that they do not reflect on Japan’s past wrongdoings and that they share the same historical view as the shrine. The JCP strongly protests this.”

Koike referred to the fact that PM Takaichi, in her address at the government-sponsored annual memorial ceremony for the war dead held that same day, did not use the term “remorse” which her predecessor Ishiba Shigeru had used in last year’s memorial service. Koike pointed out that PM Takaichi changed the phrase from “We must never again repeat,” which had been used at previous services, to “We will never allow the horrors of war to be repeated.” He said, “This statement makes it sound as if Japan were the victim,” and sharply criticized PM Takaichi for having a distorted view of history and showing no remorse over Japan’s war of aggression and colonial rule.