Takaichi Makes Additional Offering to Yasukuni Shrine Despite South Korea's Regret

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made an additional offering to the Yasukuni Shrine today (October 19), despite expressions of regret from South Korea and other nations over her earlier offerings.

According to Kyodo News and other reports, Prime Minister Takaichi offered "tamagushiryo" (ritual ritual tree offering fees) at her own expense through Hiroshi Kajiyama, Chairperson of the Liberal Democratic Party's General Council, coinciding with the shrine's autumn grand festival (reitaisai) on October 19.

On October 17, she had previously offered a "masakaki" floral tribute under the name "Sanae Takaichi, Prime Minister."

In response, the South Korean government expressed regret, while the Chinese government criticized the move, defining it as a "provocation against the post-war international order."

Prime Minister Takaichi is reportedly planning to refrain from visiting the shrine in person during the current grand festival period.

During the spring grand festival at the Yasukuni Shrine in April, Prime Minister Takaichi similarly withheld from visiting in person while sequentially offering masakaki and tamagushiryo.

On August 15, which marked South Korea's Liberation Day and Japan's WWII surrender anniversary, she offered ritual fees at her own expense and performed "yobai"—bowing toward the shrine from a distance instead of visiting directly.

Regarding whether Prime Minister Takaichi also performed yobai on October 17, her aides declined to comment, according to Kyodo.

Among Cabinet members on October 17, Economic and Fiscal Policy Minister Minoru Kiuchi visited and paid respects at Yasukuni, alongside Policy Research Council Chairperson Takayuki Kobayashi on the same day.

On this day, a bipartisan group of lawmakers called the "Association of Diet Members Visiting Yasukuni Shrine Together" is scheduled to visit.
 
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.