PM Abe's much longed-for visit to Yasukuni

PM Abe Shinzo visiting Yasukuni Shrine (Sankei)

Prime Minister Abe visited Yasukuni Shrine on December 26th, the one-year anniversary of his administration. It's been over 7 years since Prime Minister Koizumi visited the shrine as the head of the state. The visit has been much longed for by many Japanese, and by PM Abe himself, as it symbolizes that Japan is coming back to true self.

Sankei writes well on the issue and I will translate parts of its articles below. Many overseas media and leftist media of Japan only write about conventional, biased view on the topic, and I'd like to warn the readers. Sankei unfortunately does not have English version, and I will try to translate some articles once in a while.

PM Abe, during his first administration in 2007, failed to visit Yasukuni Shrine, for which he's been "extremely deeply regretted". After worshiping, PM Abe told the press, "I reported the progress of my administration in the past year, and swore to create the era when people would never suffer from the horrors of war. I chose this day to convey my determination".  PM Abe emphasized the meaning of the visit, saying "it is the attitude common to the leaders around the world to pray for the repose of the souls of those who fought on the battlegrounds (Eirei)". Furthermore, PM Abe added that "I have no intention at all to hurt the feeling of Chinese and Korean people. I would like to directly explain to the heads of these two countries". PM Abe visited the inner shrine, signed "Prime Minister Abe Shinzo" and offered white chrysanthemum. He also visited Chinrei-sha within Yasukuni Shrine premises, where all the war dead around the world are enshrined. PM Abe then presented the statement "Pledge for Everlasting Peace", and translated it into English and spread the message to the world.

The U.S. Embassy in Japan made a statement that the U.S. was disappointed that the leader of Japan acted in a way to worsen the tension with the neighboring countries. Foreign Minister Kishida Fumio discussed the issue with Ambassador Caroline Kennedy over the phone, explained the purpose of the visit and requested for understanding. Ms. Kennedy responded that she would convey the message back home. In the LDP internet programme, PM Abe said that "in recent years, misunderstanding has increased in the U.S. Taking the opportunity, I would like to explain well to clarify the misunderstanding".

What is Yasukuni Shrine?

It was built in Meiji 2 (1869) to pray for the repose of the souls of the soldiers who died in Boshin war (a civil war fought from 1868-1869 between forces of the ruling Tokugawa Shogunate and those seeking to return political power to the imperial court). The Meiji Emperor named the Shrine Yasukuni (靖国), which means to "make the country peaceful" (国を靖んずる). Not only the war dead from the Greater East Asia War (WWII), but also from the Japanese-Sino War, Japanese-Russo War, and the patriots from the end of Edo era are enshrined, totaling 2,466,000. Chinrei-sha was built in 1965 in the same premises to enshrine the Japanese war dead not enshrined in the inner shrine and the foreign war dead.

"Yasukuni Visit is a clear statement to wish for peace", Professor Kevin Doak, Georgetown University

Professor Kevin Doak, the head of the Department of East Asian Language and Cultures of Georgetown University, Washington DC, was interviewed by Sankei:

Visit to Yasukuni is purely a domestic issue of Japan which should be decided by Japanese citizens and the diet members including PM Abe who have been selected democratically by the citizens.

I don't understand why China and Korea poke their nose into this domestic affair. PM Abe's visit to Yasukuni is neither signaling the intention of starting a war nor serving the former Japanese army. PM Abe wants to pray for the repose of the souls of those who lost their lives for the nation and its people. Do the leaders of China and Korea not wish to pray for the souls of their citizens in the same way?

Yasukuni Shrine also enshrines the war dead from the Boshin war. This is similar to Arlington National Cemetery (Virginia state) which enshrines the war dead from the American Civil War.

What is the most impressive about PM Abe's visit to Yasukuni is that he visited not only the inner shrine but also Chinrei-sha. I would like non-Japanese people to understand the meeting of his visit to Chinrei-sha.

The important is that Chinrei-sha enshrines the war dead from around the world. This includes the Americans and Chinese who fought against the former Japanese army during the WWII. PM Abe's visit to Chinrei-sha clearly shows that he has sincere intention to wish for peace.

The visit to Chinrei-sha also shows that PM Abe wants to lead its citizens from nationalism to people-ism that values citizens.

I wish that there will be no negative effect on the Japan-U.S. relations. The statement of "disappointment" expressed by the U.S. government was most likely an attempt to avoid offending the feelings of China and Korea.

(Sources: Sankei Shimbun, December 27 and 28, 2013)

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It's only normal for Japanese Prime Minister and the officials, as well as Japanese citizens, to visit Yasukuni Shrine and pay respect for Eirei, without whose incredible courage, dedication and love, Japan would have not been how it is now.

Moreover, the categorization of "class A / B war criminals", etc, was decided in the Tokyo Tribunal, which was highly unfair and flawed in terms of the rationale, procedure and judgment. After 68 years from the end of the war, those who still take comfort in the Tokyo Tribunal view should wake up and see how the world really was back then.