Yasukuni on August 15th

For some reason, a shrine in Tokyo is bustled with conservative politicians on August 15^th every year. It rather seems not to commemorate fallen war victims, but to demonstrate their standpoint for restorative political agenda of reevaluating cause of the war. With growing movement for justifying war, supposedly collaborated with resurge of old establishment, traditional sentiment of reflection on the devastation of war is getting diminished.

Abstaining from visiting, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe donated ritual fee to Yasukuni Shrine on Monday. His private money was brought to the shrine by Special Advisor for President of Liberal Democratic Party, Yasutoshi Nishimura, and the donation was recorded in the name of “President of LDP, Shinzo Abe.” When he was asked fro reporters how did he feel about the donation, Abe did not reply. He does not hear the voices inconvenient to him.

Instead or on behalf, two Ministers in Abe cabinet visited Yasukuni. As she did a year ago, Sanae Takaichi, Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications, visited the shrine and donated ritual fee. “I prayed and thanked for the sacrifices for national policy with my sincere respect,” told Takaichi to the reporters. Tamayo Marukawa, Minister of Environment, for the first time as Minister, also visited it on Monday, leaving the word of “I prayed for sacrifices of indispensable life with thanks.” Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary, Koichi Hagiuda, known as an ultra conservative colleague of Abe, also visited Yasukuni.

It seemed to be too risky for Abe administration, which is making efforts to improve the relation with China, to allow Tomomi Inada, Minister of Defense, visiting Yasukuni on August 15^th. Inada made a trip to Djibouti to encourage Japanese Self-defense Force working for dealing with pirates in Gulf of Aden. Saving the face of conservative figure in Abe Cabinet, a governmental official explained that official schedule justified her absence in Yasukuni visit.

China delivered a comment, which criticized Yasukuni visit by two Ministers. “It again was a reflection of mistake of Japanese government on history issue. China firmly opposes it,” told Spokesman with Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affaris, Lu Kang. Although Lu did not refer to Abe’s donation to Yasukuni, Xinhua News Agency criticized it as approving the aggressive war, denying responsibility as assailer and heroize war criminals. Yasukuni visit cannot be finished without being controversial.