Test of Conservative Gut

Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, offered holy tree to Yasukuni Shrine to celebrate spring festival. Although he refrained himself from visiting the shrine, he consequently pushed South Korea into Chinese side by letting it join in the duet of accusation of Japan. This narrow-minded Japanese leader is too naïve to correctly understand that the Chinese and the Koreans are always hungry for an opportunity to denounce Japan.

Most media described Abe’s decision as moderate, because he tried to avoid going to the shrine. The holy tree, called Masakaki, is ritual ornament for Shinto to praise god, which is decorated by five-colored clothes representing wood, fire, earth, gold and water. By donating the tree, Abe wanted to show his loyalty to the shrine and war victims, naturally including A-Class criminals.

It was inevitable that China and South Korea responded negatively. A spokesman of Chinese Foreign Ministry, Qin Gang, stressed his view that Abe’s donation reflected wrong attitude on history. “We urge Japan to take appropriate attitude in history issue. Yasukuni issue is an element of destroying its relationship with neighbor countries and negative heritage for Japan itself,” told Qin. Spokesperson of South Korean Foreign Ministry argued that Abe’s action was “anachronism that loses credibility of neighbor countries and stability of the region.”

Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshihide Suga, dismissed criticisms from China and South Korea. “Since the delivery was genuinely personal activity, the government have nothing to say to it,” said Suga. However, some ministers in Abe cabinet visited the shrine, ignoring protests from neighbor nations. In Abe administration, going to Yasukuni became litmus test of their guts in conservative community. This chicken race between Northeast Asian nations will not end as long as Abe presides Japan.

Showing no interest to stop intimidating China and South Korea, Abe ignores disappointment of the United States on his behavior and his colleagues’. After visiting Yasukuni last December, Abe brought Japan into an isolated situation in the world. As a prescription of that hardship created by himself, he chose further intimidation to the neighbors. It is unlikely that U.S. President, Barack Obama, will praise Abe’s self-restraint in the summit meeting with him in Tokyo this week.

U.S. recognizes Japan as the cornerstone of Asia in its rebalancing strategy. It is unclear, however, whether Japan will work as an anchor for the stability in the region, as far as Abe keeps on taking stance of prioritizing his own conservative domestic agenda over diplomacy with the neighbor countries.