▲ Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is reportedly unlikely to visit the Yasukuni Shrine on August 15, which marks both Korea's Liberation Day and Japan's WWII defeat anniversary, Kyodo News and Jiji Press reported on August 12.
According to the reports, Takaichi has entered final arrangements to forgo a visit to the shrine on August 15.
Kyodo News analyzed that visiting the Yasukuni Shrine, which is regarded as a symbol of Japanese militarism, risks causing serious rifts in diplomatic relations with South Korea—with which ties have been improving—as well as in the trilateral security cooperation among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan.
It is also interpreted that she recognized the need for diplomatic consideration given that strong backlash from China is anticipated.
In the past, Takaichi has regularly visited the Yasukuni Shrine during its spring and autumn festivals, as well as on August 15, Japan's WWII surrender anniversary and Korea's Liberation Day.
During the Liberal Democratic Party leadership election held in October of last year, she openly pledged that if she assumed the premiership, she would visit the Yasukuni Shrine, asserting that doing so should not become a diplomatic issue.
However, since then, Takaichi has refrained from visiting the shrine in person, instead only offering ritual ornaments under her personal name.
The Yasukuni Shrine honors about 2.466 million people who died in civil wars following the Meiji Restoration and numerous wars instigated by imperial Japan.
In particular, the shrine enshrines Class-A war criminals from the Pacific War, including former Prime Minister Hideki Tojo, who was executed following the International Military Tribunal for the Far East (the Tokyo Trials).
During a press conference on the 7th, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara, the Japanese government's top spokesperson, was asked whether Prime Minister Takaichi and he himself planned to visit the Yasukuni Shrine or send ritual offerings. He responded, "It is a matter for the Prime Minister to judge appropriately, and the same applies to me."
(Photo: Getty Images)
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