LDP chief Abe visits Yasukuni Shrine

Here we go again.

Nice move. Bring on more riots in China and sell even less cars.

Abe, a former prime minister who was elected as president of the LDP last month, will visit Yasukuni Shrine “in the evening”, according to an aide. Yasukuni Shrine in central Tokyo honors 2.5 million war dead, including 14 leading war criminals from World War II.

I'm wondering how long this extremist can stay in PM post even if he win the election? I am also curious why not Abe together with Ishihara and Nova to rerct a new party: Japanese Taliban!

"will visit Yasukuni Shrine in the evening"

He'd better button up, it's getting nippy outside in the evenings.

Toyota, Nissan and Honda execs are probably not too happy about this.

Amid C-gov's seeking to maintain political loyalty and test the reactions of their counterparty through allowing the C-warships to skim past the contigious zone, guess Abe is similarly seeking to get this shrine visit done primarily to please his conservative supporters while testing C-gov's reactions.

It saddens me that Abe would fan the flames of anger in China/Korea, particularly given the increasingly dismal state of Japanese diplomacy with its neighbors — and this from the man who is most likely to become Japan's next prime minister within the next 12 months. I wish instead he would play a positive role in helping to mend Japan's relations with other nations.

Politicians like Abe, Ishihara (father and son) and Hashimoto are shamelessly nudging Japan closer to the brink of war to boost their own popularity (notoriety). In the process not only are they causing Japanese companies to lose money, but they are also endangering the lives of people in Japan and drawing America into a conflict that could potentially cost the lives of countless US service members. Asinine.

These guys have too much time on their hands. Why not go and visit the living?By living I mean the good folk battling on in Fukushima and areas of Tohoku.

Wake up Japan! You aren't on top economically and it isn't just China that sees this type of thing as a slap in the face.

I swear if Abe becomes PM again, I'm moving out of this country. When, when, when will this country learn?

Good for him................................................ The people who died serving their country deserve to be honored for their sacrifice, ---------------------------------------------------------whether it is Japanese at Yasukuni, or allied troops in Fl anders Field, or Americans in Arlington cemetery, or Canadians or British, or whatever country

Oh for crying out loud

Why do they feel the need to tell the world? f he just went one evening and did his thing discreetly this wouldn't be such a fuss.

Abe was born a right-wing tool and will always be one.

He is from Yamaguchi (formerly known as Choshu-han), which was the most nativisitically warped warped backwater that fought to overthrow the Edo Bakufu government and "Restore" the emperor (and the Fujiwara regents) as sovereign. Their basic ideology was that the incursion of America's back ships off Yokohama and humiliation demonstrated that Japan had become weakened because the shogun was running the government, not the emperor, as per the myths. So their aim was to use Shinto mythology and religion to raise the ire of the uneducated public (mostly in Western Japan) to "revere the emperor and expel the barbarians".

Abe was born into a political family of significance. His grandfather, Kan Abe, and father, Shintaro Abe, were both politicians. Abe's mother, Yoko Kishi,[8] is the daughter of Nobusuke Kishi, prime minister of Japan from 1957 to 1960. Kishi had been a member of the Tōjō Cabinet during the Second World War. Since GHQ's policy changed and became more anti-communist, Kishi was released from Sugamo Prison, and later established the Japan Democratic Party. In 1950 Shigeru Yoshida's Liberal Party and Kishi's Democratic Party merged as an anti-leftist coalition and became the Liberal Democratic Party of today.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinz%C5%8D_Abe

semperfiOct. 17, 2012 - 02:46PM JST

Good for him................................................ The people who died serving their country deserve to be honored for their sacrifice,

No one is disputing that and Japan should build a war memorial to their dead.

Yasakuni however, with it's Thai death railroad train to it's suicide submarine torpedo, is a shameless ppropoganda machine for Japanese militarism and an apologist for Japanese war crimes and aggression commited during that militaristic period.

Personally Japan is so diplomatically insignificant in it's hikikimori international mindset that the Chinese should just totally ignore this place.

Being ignored would probably upset Abe and his ilk a lot more, than the furor this visit will ignite.

He'd better button up, it's getting nippy outside in the evenings.

No kidding, or else he might get the runs again.

If he visits 'off the clock' and signs in as himself, not his title as LDP president, then I believe we should allow him to go on his merry way and worship regardless of what feels about Yasukuni. It's my belief, though, that he'll go as LDP head, on the taxpayer's dime, and pray simply as a means of trying to show he's "strong against China" as we are likely heading for an election. I therefore think he's just scum.

Japan is in the position of calming things down with its neighbours (the Chinese certainly won't take the higher ground on the tensions and island issue!), but now you get idiots like Abe doing what they do best -- nationalist crap to get Japan hated even more.

Is there a burmese death railway train at Yasukuni? I didn't know. The suicide sub is ok I guess - don;t think it could be guilty of any war crimes.

This is a smart move. He's leader of the alternative government, a concept totally forreign to and unwanted by China, so the visit should go pretty much unnoticed in the Chinese official media. When he becomes PM next year he can avoid going on August 15 by saying that he visited twice in 2012, thus keeping the Keidanren side of town happy, as well as the rightists and war bereaved families. They will then support LDP during the election.

He will no doubt visit. And Chinese and possibly Koreans will voice their displeasure, and that will be reported in the media. But with ill-feeling towards China at the moment, there won't be much condemnation of Abe for doing so. Far from it. So Abe will only gain from this.

Japanese hate criticism from China, and they love politicians who are seen as strong - esp those who now stand strong against China.

How long till some infuriated, hot-headed Chinese or Korean decides to burn down this place? Is it well-guarded at night?

14 leading war criminals from World War II.

leading!?!?

Yes the worst of humanity for all time blah blah blah

When US Presidents stop going to Arlington then I'll listen to all these rants. Anyone who says there are no war criminals at Arlington(from My Lai to Wounded Knee) is delusional.

The Germans built a memorial monument in Berlin for the Jews, the J Politicians... Pay provocative homage to Yasukuni.. Of course, he will send envoys to neighboring countries to pledge understanding afterward.

A lot of Japanese voters do see through Abe's antics and the media is not afraid to call him what he is -- an unashamed demagogue.

This idiot attempting to be PM .............AGAIN, what an embarassment, last time round his disgusting ignorance of his own countries history was there for all to see & then he CHICKENED OUT.............now he is crawling back.

This ignorant old fool shud learn from the EMPEROR, abe........in case you didnt know the EMPEROR wont go to yasukuni, plenty of GOOD reasons why not, be a man & learn them.

Yasukuni Shrine is a sacred place and worshiped by Japanese people. Abe-san is right to go visit yakuni shrine. Those who feel disturbed please go buy a bag of popcorn and watch!

YES like that's going to help to ease the situation with Korea and China....

Go where you want to in your own country. Completely agree with Semper Fi.

Those who feel disturbed please go buy a bag of popcorn and watch!

Issa1,

Thats what I have done now for over 2decades, sat had a few beer & otsumami & watched so many of Japans politicians participate in the decline of a once great country, it pains me to watch to fools wash their own country down & down & down, I am just thankful the Mrs & I dont have kids as the future gets a little bleaker as each day passes here, what a waste!

For both the good and the bad, "Actions have their consequences" .

I hope Mr Abe doesnt complain once those consequences arrive and knock his door.

The Chinese and Koreans can suck it, I say. If this joke of a politician (why the hell didn't he visit when he was PM?!) wants to visit a shrine, in his own country, nothing illegal going on, he should do so. Now, I can see that Japan's neighbors don't like it, but there isn't much they can do about it. I especially can't believe that China still has this minority complex when dealing with anything Japanese. They should rise above it, disapprove and move the hell on.

@oldsanno

Good point.

You can always rely on the LDP to produce the most predictably unimaginative yet inane stunts. And it doesn't matter to them as the more they do crap like this, the more donations come in for dress-up Tojos in the black vans.

It's just the rest of the real country that sinks a little deeper into its terminal decline. Doesn't bother Kackypants Abe - he gets his cheques one way or the other.

“As the autumn festival has started, I visited as the president of the Liberal Democratic Party so as to express my respect to the heroic spirits who sacrificed their lives for the country,”

Bravo zulu for him!

Yasukuni is just a place. Hate to break it to Japanese, but you can't control spirits. Therefore if you don't want to be constantly seen as worshiping war criminals, then don't be seen worshiping war criminals. Every time this happens it represents Japan as impossibly insensitive.

Solution is simple. Most Japanese have no love for the place. By all means pray somewhere else that indeed supports Japan's war dead, but without war criminals, and much improvement will occur internationally, while also offering support at home. There is no reason not to do this and opponents of Japan would then be unable to claim various slights and other obvious benefits

It's only a question of choice and those choices are important

BlackcatBCBOct. 17, 2012 - 07:32PM JST YES like that's going to help to ease the situation with Korea and China....

Every year like clock work the PRC and their Koreans subjects dance their dance complaining about the evil Japanese without a single PM going to the Shrine.

I am not kidding, every bloody year at the same time they start their dance. Then after 2 of 3 months they get quiet.

This is a routine and it does not matter if anyone goes or not, so really who the heck cares if they get upset. They are still going to do their yearly dance.

IMHO every human being deserves an honorable sepulture, regardless of his past behavior.

But creating a formal sanctuary for A-war criminals is either denying the facts and/or provocation. Both do not help the peace to progress.

JoeBigs: "Every year like clock work the PRC and their Koreans subjects dance their dance complaining about the evil Japanese without a single PM going to the Shrine."

And like clock work, here you are ranting about the PRC, whom I haven't seen ranting about this at all yet. On the contrary, what I've seen is a bunch of uber-nationlists here saying how 'right' it is that Abe the quitter visits.

"This is a routine and it does not matter if anyone goes or not, so really who the heck cares if they get upset. They are still going to do their yearly dance."

There's a big difference in the 'yearly dances', my friend; the Japanese politicians do their 'yearly dance' to Yasukuni to score points with right-wingers (in case you didn't notice an election is looming, and I KNOW you know that there's a lot of anti-China, anti-Korean sentiment going around), whereas the 'dance', as you call it, by the Chinese and Koreans in response is one that comes from rational anger of history and that fact that Japan still denies atrocities and worships war criminals. Using your 'dance' metaphor, then, the Japanese dance is the one of fools.

Look, my Grandfather served in the U.S. Pacific Fleet during WW2. He along with his shipmates fought the Japanese at Guadalcanal, Pelelu, Saipan, Leyte Gulf, The Coral Sea, Guam, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa while the Chinese and the Koreans were taking a "Snoozer" on their home soil waiting for the U.S. to come and Liberate them!

Young Marines and Sailors like my Grandfather shed their blood on those Coral and Volcanic Islands and if Anyone has any place to say how and when the Japanese should Honor their War Dead; it would be Men like my Grandfather and his Buddy's who fought the Japanese during WW2.

I brought this topic up with them about a year ago, and they said clearly that the Japanese have all the right to Honor their War Dead however they ser fit, because he saw how hard the Japanese fought in WW2 for what they beloved as their Homeland.

Furthermore, they were impressed with the Japanese and their politeness to the U.S. Forces post WW2 during the rebuilding phase of post WW2 Japan. I agree and I also support the Japanese at Honoring their War Dead however they see fit.

"they were impressed with the Japanese and their politeness to the U.S. Forces post WW2"

Amazing how the Japanese attitude did a complete one eighty after their defeat.

Personally Japan is so diplomatically insignificant in it's hikikimori international mindset that the Chinese should just totally ignore this place.

Kind of difficult when they are the ones who decided to make this a political card back in 1985. Of course back then, it was the PM's visit that they whined about. Now it extends to cabinet members and opposition party leaders.

Indeed the Chinese should just ignore this. This is a country's internal affairs. Or do the Chinese have double standards when criticizing the US, accusing us of meddling into another country's internal affairs and turning around and doing that exact thing (wouldn't surprise me) ? This shrine just honors the people who died for their country (I went there myself). As for war criminals, it's not like we in the US didn't welcome a host of them into our own research programs (see Operation Paperclip) so we too, should stop before being called out as hypocrites.

I suppose I should have said Abe was "raised" as a right wing tool not "born" as one.

At any rate, some of the points made are interesting, such as the fact that he didn't visit the shrine as PM but that he may be doing so now that he can avoid doing so in the event that he becomes PM again, etc.

The government really should establish a separate WWII memorial and resolve the issue of families with relatives interred against their will, etc., as this should be a non-issue. I certainly shouldn't be something that is with us perpetually for the right wing nationalists to try and exploit in times of economic crisis, for example.

nigelboy: "Kind of difficult when they are the ones who decided to make this a political card back in 1985. Of course back then, it was the PM's visit that they whined about. Now it extends to cabinet members and opposition party leaders."

Yes, the increasing number of deniers who are the grandkids of people who enslaved their neighbours and or committed atrocities against them, and these dolts who were never there tell the people who WERE there that they are wrong. Abe is one of the worst of the deniers, and has been proven FLAT wrong before when he claimed no imperial troops engaged in sex with sex slaves (and needless to say they were never slaves according to him), and that was shortly before he got his tummy ache and had to quit. I look forward to him quitting again soon. So yeah, when these politicians go solely for the sake of goading other nations on, those nations have a right to get upset. If they're truly there for personal reasons, do it on personal time, without their official titles -- but they don't, do they?

War criminals buried with the honored dead? The old Bushido code gone wrong at its finest.

Yes, the increasing number of deniers who are the grandkids of people who enslaved their neighbours and or committed atrocities against them, and these dolts who were never there tell the people who WERE there that they are wrong. Abe is one of the worst of the deniers, and has been proven FLAT wrong before when he claimed no imperial troops engaged in sex with sex slaves (and needless to say they were never slaves according to him), and that was shortly before he got his tummy ache and had to quit. I look forward to him quitting again soon. So yeah, when these politicians go solely for the sake of goading other nations on, those nations have a right to get upset. If they're truly there for personal reasons, do it on personal time, without their official titles -- but they don't, do they?

Wrong smith. Abe did not deny the existence of comfort women. What he denied were the one way accusation without proof that that most of these women were systematically enforced by IJA in a form of kidnapping/coersion. It turns out he was right and many who had sympathies for these women back in early 2000's just got sick and tired of this propaganda created by Comfort Women Inc. and the Korean lawmakers/leaders who continually used this against Japan.

And don't get me started on Korea's position on Yasukuni. They merely jumped on China's anti-Japan/anti-Yasukuni bandwagon in the 90's like an obedient lap dog. It's a hard habit to break when Korea throughout history has been a tributory/slave state to China for thousands of years.

War criminals buried with the honored dead? The old Bushido code gone wrong at its finest.

There are no bodies buried there. There are no remains there.

The remains of the A-class criminals are buried here.

http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%AE%89%E5%9B%BD%E4%B8%83%E5%A3%AB%E5%BB%9F

If a lawmakers goes there specifically, there is no doubt in anybody's mind that he/she is honouring the A-class criminals.

Voting for Abe/Ishihara is like voting for war.

Disclaimer: I am not biased.

Hi, very simple to solve the problem! Remove the 14 A Class Criminals to another place. Put it in the news, then I believe, everybotdy can visit Yasukuni without cause damages. By the way, why they visit a place where even the emperor avoid to go? I believe, this visits are the root cause of all the problems involving Korea and China.

Hi, very simple to solve the problem! Remove the 14 A Class Criminals to another place. Put it in the news, then I believe, everybotdy can visit Yasukuni without cause damages. By the way, why they visit a place where even the emperor avoid to go? I believe, this visits are the root cause of all the problems involving Korea and China.

What about the B/C Class war criminals who were enshrined back in the 50's? None of the nations had problems with that back then but I'm quite certain that China/Korea would make that the new issue.

Little fact.

The enshrinement of Class A criminals was done in 1978 and was disclosed publicly in 1979. From 1979~1985, over 20 visits by Japanese Prime Ministers and not a single complaint from China.

With the Chinese politicians behaving like morons, I guess Abe felt he needs to keep up. Sheesh.

hkitagawa:

" Hi, very simple to solve the problem! Remove the 14 A Class Criminals to another place. "

Or simply go to the national cemetary at Chidorigafuji which is built as a memorial to the war dead, but without the stupid nationalistic ideological ballast of Yasukuni. Why don´t Japanese politicians behave like adults and do that.

Or simply go to the national cemetary at Chidorigafuji which is built as a memorial to the war dead, but without the stupid nationalistic ideological ballast of Yasukuni. Why don´t Japanese politicians behave like adults and do that.

They do. Except for the fact that it houses only the remains of the unidentified soldiers during the Pacific war. How about just do both Yasukuni and Chidorigafuji like they did in the past?

Behaving like adults to me is to honor the war dead. Behaving like children are those who whine and bitch about how other country honor their war dead.

nigelboy:

" Behaving like adults to me is to honor the war dead. Behaving like children are those who whine and bitch about how other country honor their war dead. "

Groan... haven´t we been through that routine many times? Nobody is begrudging anybody the right to honor war dead. But war criminals, which were tried and executed AFTER the war, are not "war dead". And neither does the nationalistic propaganda museum at Yasukuni have anything to do with honoring any dead.

I would certainly complain if German politicians enshrined Goebbels and Himmler as "war dead" and went to pray for them, and I am pretty sure that you too would "whine and bitch" about that.

Groan... haven´t we been through that routine many times? Nobody is begrudging anybody the right to honor war dead. But war criminals, which were tried and executed AFTER the war, are not "war dead". And neither does the nationalistic propaganda museum at Yasukuni have anything to do with honoring any dead.

In other words, you're bitching about B/C criminals that were enshrined there as well, correct?

I would certainly complain if German politicians enshrined Goebbels and Himmler as "war dead" and went to pray for them, and I am pretty sure that you too would "whine and bitch" about that.

that's the point. I don't give a damn who honors who.

Not sure if any remains are in the shrine. The 14 class A criminals are not in the shrine. They were dumped into Tokyo Bay after their execution and cremation. The priests says their kami are in the shrine. This is a private shrine and has nothing to do with the Japanese government. Understand people are upset with them but it is their right to practice their religion as they see fit. They violated no laws interning the 14 class A war criminals.

This ignorant old fool shud learn from the EMPEROR, abe........in case you didnt know the EMPEROR wont go to yasukuni, plenty of GOOD reasons why not, be a man & learn them.

The reason why Emperor Hirohito refrained from visiting the fascist war shrine since 1978 is exactly the same reason why Shinzo Abe has kept worshiping at the shrine.

It is known that among the 14 top WWII criminals who got enshrined in the Yasukuni war shrine since 1978 is a former Japanese foreign minister, Yosuke Matsuoka.

Yosuke Matsuoka is a great granduncle of Shinzo Abe and he was known to be instrumental in the establishment of the Axis Powers of World War II with Hitler. A memo from Emperor Hirohito, disclosed in 2006, revealed that he stopped visiting Yasukuni Shrine because of the enrollment of the war criminals in 1978, stating "they even enshrined Matsuoka and Shiratori".

So it is obvious that Emperor Hirohito regarded Yosuke Matsuoka, great granduncle of Shinzo Abe and not Tojo as Japan's no 1 war criminal.

And Yosuke Matsuoka isn't the only top WWII criminal in Shinzo Abe's family. Shinzo Abe's grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi who co-signed the declaration of war against the United States with Tojo is also a top WWII criminal.

Despite his war criminal background, Nobusuke Kishi became a Prime Minister of Japan in the 1950s and was responsible for reshaping Japan's foreign relations with the US.

It is known that among the 14 top WWII criminals who got enshrined in the Yasukuni war shrine since 1978 is a former Japanese foreign minister, Yosuke Matsuoka.

There are documents that show that Yasukuni war shrine agreed to the enshrinement of the 14 top WWII criminals in 1969 only upon recommendation by the Japanese government headed by Eisaku Sato, the younger brother of Nobusuke Kishi and granduncle of Shinzo Abe.

A memo from Emperor Hirohito, disclosed in 2006, revealed that he stopped visiting Yasukuni Shrine because of the enrollment of the war criminals in 1978, stating "they even enshrined Matsuoka and Shiratori".

Yosuke Matsuoka, a great granduncle of Shinzo Abe is probably the closest to Hitler among all Japanese politicians. You can see a picture of him with Hitler here:

http://bemil.chosun.com/nbrd/files/BEMIL085/upload/2006/09/HitlerMatsuoka.jpg

http://bemil.chosun.com/nbrd/files/BEMIL085/upload/2006/09/Hitlermatsuokawalk.jpg

The enshrinement of Class A criminals was done in 1978 and was disclosed publicly in 1979.

According to Kyodo News, the secret decision to enshrine top WWII criminals reached between the Health and Welfare Ministry and the War Shrine in 1969 was never made public.

From Kyodo News, State in '69 OK'd war criminal inclusion

"Among the documents are lists dated from Jan. 31, 1969, presented at a meeting between shrine officials and the then Health and Welfare Ministry of people who could be enshrined at Yasukuni and the document says the shrine and the ministry shared the view that Class-A war criminals are "able to be honored."

The ministry and the shrine also agreed not to make public the idea that Yasukuni would enshrine the war criminals, a decision that appears to be linked to the constitutional issue of state and religion remaining separate."

Don't we have enough problems already without more provocations?

They weren't war dead, they were executed criminals who didn't die during the war?

They were executed by the hands of the enemy, hence classifed as "war dead".

VC captures a U.S. Soldier , then subsequenly conducts a mock trial/summary execution. How is this soldier perceived in U.S.? How is this soldier perceived in Vietnam?

smithinjapanOct. 17, 2012 - 10:18PM JST And like clock work, here you are ranting about the PRC, whom I haven't seen ranting about this at all yet. On the contrary, what I've seen is a bunch of uber-nationlists here saying how 'right' it is that Abe the quitter visits.

Chamberlin I understand that you dislike Japan and would rant and rave against anything that they do. But not all of us fall for the yearly bunk your Korean and PRC comrades say.

I understand that you would rather have Japan bowdown and crawl before those two states, but it is not going to happen. When your friends, the PRC and it's tributary state of Korea attack Japan and the US will stand against their aggressions, so deal with it.

smithinjapanOct. 17, 2012 - 10:18PM JST There's a big difference in the 'yearly dances', my friend; the Japanese politicians do their 'yearly dance' to Yasukuni to score points with right-wingers.

Actually I have been to the Shrine, ready for this, no bones there and no bodies there. All the place is, Chamberlain I hope you're reading this, is a place to greave and pay respects to all those that died in the service to the Emporer.

Can you believe that, a place where the Emporer and the people can say thank you for dying for your nation.

Again please read these words, there are no bodies or bones there, there are just names.

smithinjapanOct. 17, 2012 - 10:18PM JST (in case you didn't notice an election is looming, and I KNOW you know that there's a lot of anti-China, anti-Korean sentiment going around)

In case you gave not noticed that sentiment goes both ways and each year at this time the PRC and their tributary state of Korea do the samethig.

smithinjapanOct. 17, 2012 - 10:18PM JST whereas the 'dance', as you call it, by the Chinese and Koreans in response is one that comes from rational anger of history and that fact that Japan still denies atrocities and worships war criminals. Using your 'dance' metaphor, then, the Japanese dance is the one of fools.

See, as I have come to understand about your rational, in your words Japan is bad and the PRC and it's tributary state of Korea are good.

I understand that you think that the Japan and world owes these two nations more than they can ever repay. But time has passed, Japan has repaid those nation hundreds of billions of YEN and has appologized more than enough times.

It is time for you and your PRC brothers to get over this and move into the 21st century, Japan has.

BTW every year when those two states do their dance they do it for one big reason, money, they want yen yen yen and that is it.

Behind each building being burnt is an extortion demand that was not paid.

hkitagawaOct. 18, 2012 - 01:22AM JST Hi, very simple to solve the problem! Remove the 14 A Class Criminals to another place.

There are no bones there, only names.

nigelboyOct. 17, 2012 - 11:47PM JST War criminals buried with the honored dead? The old Bushido code gone wrong at its finest. There are no bodies buried there. There are no remains there.

Nigelboy, I have been trying to correct folks for the longest time about this same issue, but folks just do not get it.

The PRC and it's tributary state of Korea have convinced everyone that 2.5 million soldiers are burried there along with so called war criminals.

But the truth of the matter is, there are no bones or bodies there.

But folks still can not believe that, even though it is a FACT!

the shrine has been there far before ww2 "criminals" were "enshrined" there.

It's like saying no US President can ever visit a "national" cemetery because it's buried full of soldiers who raped and killed thousands of civilians from all the past wars the country has fought. To the home country the honored are heroes and to the victim nations they were the devils and demons.

Bottom line is that they're all dead and to someone the deceased was a loved one who was a father, a son, a brother, a grandfather, or what have you.

China and Korea love to center in on the ww2 war criminals as if the shrine exists for them. China is just pissed they lost the first sino-japanese war when and korea is just always pissed for being in the shadow of Japan and won't admit that Japan annexing Korea from China was for the better.

Yeah ole abe cant pick his family but it wud be nice if he didnt worship the war criminals in said family tree, the guy is cleary very bad news

Not sure why all of the negative I am Roman Catholic like my ancestors not Shinto. I go to mass every week with my family. The Shinto Priests can say anything they like. The criminals went through due process and we hung. Their ashes were dumped into Tokyo harbor. The Allies hung them like the garbage they were. They paid for their crimes 67 years ago. I would pray for my dinner before these chappies. So it comes down to freedom no matter how stupid it can be in fact.

The visit of Yasukuni Shrine has different perspective from one another which has its own rights but the fact that it related to the tragedy in World War II is undeniable.

I think a few people here has misunderstood, It is not really about the shrine but the intention of those who visits it.

YuriO,

Wud be fine if abe was doing this on his own, but when &his ilk mortgage the future of their COUNTRY, its a little different dont you think

@wasabizuki

Yasukuni was established to honor the war dead from the Meiji Restoration.

The history of that period is complicated, and if you are really interested in learning about it, the following book is probably the place to start: http://www.amazon.co.jp/Sakamoto-Ryoma-Restoration-Marius-Jansen/dp/0231101732/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350527133&sr=8-1

It was due to the reactionary nativistic, and essentially theocratic nature of the struggle to bring about the so-called "Restoration" of the emperor that subsequently lead to the form of Shinto that was used by certain people that gained power to pursue a course contrary to the "modernization" that is often credited as starting with the Restoration.

The role of Shinto per se in Japanese aggression against its neighbors goes back to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who, though a man of notable accomplishments, was also from a peasant background and was susceptible to the influence of the more sophisticated members of the court, and fell prey to some of their machinations; at least that is the way I see it.

He was influenced by Yoshida Shinto (or Yu-itsu Shinto), which contributed to his launching an invasion of Korea with the ultimate aim of conquering China.

The Tokugawa succeeded in restoring relations with the Korean court and the two countries were on good terms until the Meiji Restoration, when the Korean court refused to recognize the theocratic authority of the emperor in terms of being a living Shinto deity, which motivated a group of unltranationaliistic right wing criminals to hatch a plot to assassinate the Korean Empress, and eventually led to the colonization of Korea.

There is much more to the historical context of this shrine than I have seen discussed anywhere, but I haven't read any Japanese sources specifically on this topic. (Maybe there are none as the authors would probably be targeted by the right wing groups)

No they were not executed by the enemy since by the time of the executions Japan had already surrendered and the war was over, so yes they were criminals and not war dead.

No. They are "enemy" until the Peace Treaty is signed. Until then, Japan has surrendered to "enemy" while Allieds were occupying an "enemy" territory.

Yasukuni Shrine is a sacred place and worshiped by Japanese people. Abe-san is right to go visit yakuni shrine.

"Abe-san" is only doing it to get votes from old folks whose husbands, fathers, brothers and uncles were sent off to get killed by people like his grandfather and great-uncle. Moreover I bet he wouldn't dare if Japan's no.1 pal wasn't America.