Japanese defence minister visits Yasukuni Shrine, drawing China and South Korea rebukes

Japan's Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi has visited Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, prompting criticism from China and South Korea. The visit took place on Saturday, the 81st anniversary of Japan's surrender in the Second World War. It has renewed attention on a long-running diplomatic dispute over the shrine and the symbolism attached to visits by senior Japanese officials.

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Koizumi paid his respects at the shrine and later posted a message on Instagram explaining his visit. He said he had gone to "offer my sincere condolences to the heroic spirits who sacrificed their precious lives for the nation." He added that, alongside Japan's vow to renounce war, he reaffirmed the country's determination to continue its postwar path as a peaceful nation. He left the shrine without answering reporters' questions.

Yasukuni Shrine is dedicated to about 2.5 million war dead, mostly Japanese, including convicted war criminals linked to Imperial Japan's invasions and occupations in Asia in the 1930s and 1940s. Among those commemorated are 14 wartime leaders convicted of the most serious war crimes, as well as at least 1,000 others found guilty by Allied tribunals after Japan's defeat in 1945. That history has made the site a recurring source of tension with Japan's neighbours, who view such visits as a failure to fully confront wartime atrocities.

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it "strongly condemns" the shrine visit and an offering sent by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. It said it had lodged strong protests with the Japanese side. South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also expressed "deep regret" over what it called the "anachronistic" actions of Japanese leaders who sent offerings or visited the shrine.

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It urged Japan's leaders to face history and show "humble reflection and sincere remorse" through their actions. The visit is politically sensitive because Yasukuni has long stood at the centre of disputes over historical memory in East Asia. Senior Japanese politicians have repeatedly faced criticism when they visit or send offerings to the shrine, particularly from China and South Korea.

The issue is closely tied to broader regional relations because it touches on unresolved grievances over Japan's wartime conduct and the language used by current leaders to describe that period. There had been speculation that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi might also attend the shrine, but she did not go. Local media reported that she sent an offering, as previous prime ministers have done.

Koizumi has long been a regular visitor to Yasukuni, but the latest trip came at a moment of heightened attention because of the anniversary date and the presence of senior figures in Japan's government. It also comes as Tokyo continues to balance domestic political symbolism with regional diplomatic sensitivities. It remains unclear whether the latest protests will lead to any further diplomatic steps beyond public rebukes.

#Japan #YasukuniShrine #ShinjiroKoizumi #China #SouthKorea

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