The Catholic Church and Yasukuni shrine

By William Grimm

TOKYO —

It’s time for the annual Yasukuni Follies. Japanese politicians visit the shrine, make-believing they are more interested in honoring the country’s war dead than they are in holding onto right-wing financial support. In Act 2, Chinese politicians make-believe their people should be more upset over what happened three generations ago than over what’s going on today.

Most Catholics, like most Christians in Japan, tend to the left on the issue of Yasukuni, opposing visits by government officials and special status for the shrine that honors Japan’s military dead, including some who were executed as war criminals. However, there are also right-wingers in the church, and some of them go so far as saying that Catholics not only can, but should visit Yasukuni because of something a Vatican cardinal said in 1936.

In the 1930s, children in Japan went to Shinto shrines as a school activity. In response to a query from the archbishop of Tokyo, the Ministry of Education declared such visits a manifestation of loyalty, not a religious activity. Therefore, the Vatican said Catholics could visit shrines, since such visits were a matter of patriotism rather than religion.

After the war, shrines were denationalized and incorporated as religious entities. So, at the first postwar gathering of Japan’s bishops in 1946, Catholics were told they should no longer visit them. Apparently, though, some people felt that the earlier Vatican decision took precedence. They secured a declaration in 1951 from the same cardinal who had issued the 1936 statement, saying that the older policy remained in force. Perhaps the cardinal did not want to admit that he had earlier made a mistake. So, until their generation finishes dying off, there will be Catholics who go bow before Yasukuni’s enshrined war dead.

Curious about who might be there and what they might be doing, I decided to go to Yasukuni myself during Golden Week for a look-see.

I saw a varied, but small, group. There were some old men with canes and hearing aids who probably came to honor war buddies or brothers. One of them carried his cane like a sword rather than as a walking stick. They clapped, bowed and hobbled away. They surprised me with their nonchalance until I realized that they have probably been doing this for some 60 years.

There was a woman leaving in a wheelchair accompanied by people I assumed were her son or daughter, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Was she visiting the enshrined spirit of her husband? She looked worn out; the family looked bored and the kids seemed in a hurry to leave.

About 40 make-believe militia in blue fatigues showed up. Apparently, the aging of Japan is hitting the rightists: most of the “troops” were in paunchy middle age, and a few women helped fill the ranks. They straggled from their black vans to a spot under some trees, formed a ragged line, sang “Kimigayo,” and feigned listening to an old man whose voice could not carry to his audience (or to me). Apparently, the one place in Japan where rightists do not use loudspeakers is Yasukuni. That may be the shrine’s chief benefit to society.

The largest number of people were tourists who seemed to be there to check off another “must-see” on their to-do list. They didn’t go through any ritual motions beyond the 21st century’s chief ritual, photography. The Japanese were mostly women in their 20s who used their cell phones to take photos of each other flashing the peace sign. The gaijin used cameras to take photos of each other without the peace sign. Others visitors seemed to be using the shrine as a shortcut.

Nobody seemed interested in Tojo or other stars of the Yasukuni Follies. That’s when I realized there is not one Yasukuni Shrine at Kudan, but thousands.

There are the poignant Yasukunis — one per memory — where people recall buddies, brothers, husbands and fathers. Those Yasukunis disappear one by one as those who treasure them join their buddies, brothers, husbands and fathers in death.

There is the Yasukuni of the politicians and their megaphone militarists — the same Yasukuni as that of the left’s protesters. That one, too, will soon fade away as the people for whom it is important disappear and it loses its political usefulness.

In 10 or 15 years, there will be only two Yasukuni Shrines left: the tourist stop and the shortcut.

Rather than being distracted by the Yasukuni Follies and the past, we should recognize that time is making the “problem” wear away, and instead work today toward a future where shrines for war dead will all be merely old tourist stops and shortcuts.

William Grimm is a Catholic priest in Tokyo and the editor of Japan’s Catholic Weekly. This commentary originally appeared in Metropolis magazine (www.metropolis.co.jp).

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Latest 15 of 33 Total Comments Show All

ReaganLegend at 05:44 AM JST - 11th August

Kimingo; Has someone slipped some angel dust into your Japanese green tea?

I don not nthink many Asian countries are very happy about being invaded by Japan last century.

Religions should not have places to pray for onvicted criminals, as Japan does.
solarbuster at 05:55 AM JST - 11th August

Nelsiton sorry if this has touched on a sore point but try reading history with an open mind and you will see that this is the truth. That is why I used grass house instead of glass house, people in glass houses can see out those that live in grass houses can not.
theneworder666 at 06:11 AM JST - 11th August

ReaganLegend; Good post. How can a shrine call itself a place of worship and prayer when it has mconvicted mass murderers there?

The catholic church always behaves in what it believes it its own best interest. It only cares about increasing its members and revenue.
Patto at 06:58 AM JST - 11th August

Thank you to Mr. Grimm for a thoughtful article! I think a third Yasukuni will remain for quite a while: the loyalty test. Japan has had those throughout its history, it seems a deeply important part of their culture. Loyalty tests, however, can take many different forms, so Yasukuni's relevance may fade in this area over time. A fourth Yasukuni will remain, though. It is a part of Japan's indigenous religion, and though the wartime government defined Shinto as a cultural/educational institution and a few people within Shinto still do, there are many others who find real inspiration in it as a nature-oriented beautiful religion. In fact, people outside Japan are discovering Shinto. There is a Texas Shinto Study Group, for just one example. They honor Yasukuni as part of Shinto, while recognizing the reasons for controversy. I think that no religion, country or culture should be judged by what its soldiers did in a war. We would all be throwing rocks at each other. The world, unfortunately, has an endless supply of warmongers who will utilize any means at hand for organizing and motivating armies. "I am with God! Blah blah blah."
AlliedForces at 07:05 AM JST - 11th August

Patto; I believe in the bible i believe what god says.

God does not approve of praying for war criminals. The Vatican cardinal who says the shrine is ok did it to boost the popularity of the catholic church in Japan.
solarbuster at 08:19 AM JST - 11th August

The Japanese are not praying for war criminals, at a Shinto shrine they seek to honour ancesters and family it is their responsibility to do this. Under the Japanese concept of death once a person is dead the spirit nolonger retains the evilness or faults that is in the living. In dying war criminals remove the shame inflicted by their actions on the whole nation and are honoured as ancestors. They have accepted responsibility by giving up their lives and removed the shame inflicted upon the nation, They are not honoured for their evil deeds. This does not say that the Japanese nation condones what the war criminal did it is a resposibility under Shinto teaching. This concept is complexed and very different to Buddhist thinking. Japanese politicians themselves cause more confusion because like the average Japanese they may appear to be Shinto on Monday, Christian on Tuesday and Buddhist on Wednesday. However, at the Shinto shrine they are Shinto and honouring Shinto concepts not war criminals. If a few not so bright ultra rights think otherwise there is nothing any one can do about it, every country has its idiots they should not be seen as representing Japan and the Japanese should have the balls to see that these people do not represent them.

Moderator: Stay on topic please.
mcd at 09:41 PM JST - 11th August

Captain Johann and others...the IDEA of the Yasukuni shrine is the main problem. If there were say a memorial to WWII dead and not to the war criminals interred in Yasukuni along with honorable dead then we wouldn't be having this conversation. But with Togo and his ultra nationalist thugs being interred with "real" war heroes it becomes a farce. And Captain Johann, Himmler was a war criminal but he opted for suicide rather than face the gallows in Nuremburg. Blind obedience did not stop the Japanese from the Rape of Nanjing nor did it stop them from crucifying the pilots of the Doolittle raids over Tokyo right after Pearl Harbor. I will concede that had the west lost the war their would have been plenty of war criminals on our side as well...however, we weren't the aggressor in WWII.
mcd at 09:43 PM JST - 11th August

Kimigano,

Oh my God!!!! Are you actually defending the Asia for Asians excuse that the Japanese used in there conquests in Manchuria, China and the Korean peninsula!!! You enslaved nations and raped women and killed children ad nauseum. Give me a break.
kimigano at 03:12 AM JST - 13th August

Not to mention that Aso Taro, who is projected to be the next Prime Minister, is a Catholic. Could be very interesting for Japanese politics.
realist at 07:22 AM JST - 14th August

Yasukuni Shrine has, and always will be, a shrine of hate. To me it is a place where war criminals are honoured by people who hate foreigners and who are sad that Japan got whipped during World War II, and who also believe that Japan`s rape and pillage of Asia was justified. These sad people dont give a toss about the war atrocities, like the Rape of nanking, carried out by their "heroes" enshrined in Yasukuni.
realist at 07:28 AM JST - 14th August

kimigano You are joking,arent you? Japan and the Japanese are still hated by many millions of people in other Asian countries because of Japanese military brutality committed during the war. Japans troops raped and pillaged their way through Asia, looting their treasures, which became known as "Yamashitas Gold" and that is how modern day Japan came to be the wealthy nation it now is. But for the pillage illegally brought back to Japan, this country would be no more than a forgotten backwater on the edge of the Pacific Ocean. many of the stolen treasures of Asia are still held in a massive vault below the Imperial palace in Marunouchi. Did you ever study history at all, or did you just believe the lies taught in Japanese schools?
frontandcentre at 12:34 PM JST - 14th August

I wonder which has killed more - the war criminals at the Yasukuni Jinja, or William Grimm and his religion of fear that tells people they are going to hell if they don't protect their health with contraception?

Probably the Catholic Church, I suspect.
frontandcentre at 12:37 PM JST - 14th August

Correction - I meant "if they protect their health with contraception".

I have no respect for people who think a former Hitler Youth based in Rome has a hotline to God - if you invented that concept today people would, quite rightly, treat you as if you are nuts
kimigano at 07:06 AM JST - 16th August

kimigano You are joking,arent you?

No, I'm not. The governments of Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Bhutan, Tibet, Cambodia, Saipan, Laos, India, Siam and Myanmar have all sent official thanks to Japan for her help in ridding Asia of Western colonial powers.

Their gifts of gratitude are located in various shrines and temples across Japan, from Kamakura to Hiroshima, from Sapporo to Naha.

Let me know when you have some kind of proof that the rest of Asia enjoyed living under the boot of European colonial rule. Only China and South Korea have not yet thanked Japan, despite their having gained significantly in terms of infrastructure thanks to the graciousness of the Japanese who helped lift them from abject poverty.
The_Pope at 06:41 PM JST - 17th August

Just to mention that when the Japanese entered many parts of S.E. Asia they were greeted as liberators -- much to dimay of the Dutch and French that has such a fine track record of developing lands in Africa and Asia under their stewardship...