Japan Press Weekly

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2023 August 16 - 22 [POLITICS]

107 rightwing Dietmembers visit war-glorifying Yasukuni Shrine on day of WWII end

Members of the pro-Yasukuni parliamentarians' league led by Upper House President Otsuji Hidehisa (67 sitting Dietmembers and 40 delegates) visited the war-glorifying Yasukuni Shrine on August 15, the day commemorating the end of WWII in Japan. Those who visited the shrine included eight vice-ministers and parliamentary-ministers in addition to 13 "Ishin" party Dietmembers.

Minister of State for Economic Security Takaichi Sanae and Chair of the Liberal Democratic Party Policy Research Council Hagiuda Koichi also visited the shrine. Prime Minister Kishida Fumio without visiting the shrine paid out-of-pocket money as the LDP president for devoting a branch of the sacred tree to the shrine.

The Yasukuni Shrine justifies and glosses over Japan's past war of aggression as a war for self-existence and self-defense. The visit to such a shrine by lawmakers and Cabinet ministers is tantamount to demonstrating their pro-Yasukuni stance both at home and abroad. Visiting, signing their names on visitors' registers, or making offerings to religious facilities as ministers or Dietmembers constitute a violation of the principle of separation of religion and politics which the Japanese Constitution stipulates.