Japan Defence Minister Visits Yasukuni on 81st WWII Anniversary as China, South Korea Rebuke Move
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · Aug 15
Japan Defence Minister Visits Yasukuni on 81st WWII Anniversary as China, South Korea Rebuke Move
3 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Aug 15
Summary
Shinjiro Koizumi visited Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine on Saturday, marking 81 years since Japan’s World War II surrender and becoming the latest senior official to honor the site.
Koizumi later said he offered condolences to those who died for the nation and reaffirmed Japan’s postwar commitment to peace, but he left the shrine without answering reporters’ questions.
China strongly condemned Koizumi’s visit and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s offering, saying it lodged formal protests; South Korea called the actions “anachronistic” and urged sincere remorse.
Yasukuni commemorates 2.5 million war dead, including 14 Class-A war criminals and at least 1,000 others convicted by Allied tribunals, making official visits a recurring flashpoint with Japan’s neighbors.
Koizumi was the first Japanese defence minister to visit since 2024, while Takaichi stayed away in person; the last sitting prime minister to visit was Shinzo Abe in 2013.