Top LDP Executives to Push for Group Visit to Yasukuni Shrine... Called 'Unusual'

Key executives of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) are expected to visit Yasukuni Shrine tomorrow (August 15), which marks South Korea's Liberation Day and Japan's WWII surrender anniversary, Sankei Shimbun, Kyodo News, and other outlets reported today (August 14).

Yasukuni Shrine honors about 2.46 million people who died in civil wars before and after the Meiji Restoration and numerous wars waged by Japanese imperialism. It also enshrines Class-A Pacific War criminals, including former Prime Minister Hideki Tojo, who were executed following the International Military Tribunal for the Far East (Tokyo Trials), making it a symbol of Japanese militarism.

According to reports, LDP Secretary-General Shunichi Suzuki, General Council Chairperson Haruko Arimura, and Election Campaign Committee Chairperson Yasutoshi Nishimura are coordinating plans to visit Yasukuni Shrine on August 15.

Initially, Policy Research Council Chairperson Takayuki Kobayashi also considered visiting, but reportedly changed his plans to respond to flood damage in Chiba Prefecture, located in eastern Honshu.

Japanese media explained that while individual LDP executives have visited Yasukuni Shrine in the past, a group visit is unusual.

Regarding this, an LDP executive told Sankei, "This is a visit strictly from the party's standpoint. It is important to pay tribute to the war dead with sincere devotion."

The opposition party expressed concerns.

Junya Ogawa, leader of the Centrist Reform Alliance, said via social media, "While there are no political differences in mourning the war dead, there is responsibility regarding the impact on relations and diplomacy with neighboring countries. Greater repercussions are feared if ruling party executives visit as a group."

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi plans not to visit Yasukuni on August 15, citing her commitment to dealing with the aftermath of the Kumamoto earthquake, local media reported.

While domestic focus was cited as the surface reason, interpretations suggest the decision stems from concerns that visiting Yasukuni Shrine—widely regarded as a symbol of Japanese militarism—would strain diplomatic relations with South Korea and crack the South Korea-U.S.-Japan trilateral alliance.

Prime Minister Takaichi is a politician who previously visited Yasukuni Shrine during the autumn festival in 2021 when she served as the LDP Policy Research Council chairperson, and has regularly visited on August 15 as well.

During the LDP leadership election held in October of last year, she also publicly vowed to visit Yasukuni Shrine if she assumed the premiership.

However, Prime Minister Takaichi has since refrained from direct visits, instead sending ritual offerings under her personal name, drawing attention to whether she will make ritual offerings on this surrender anniversary as well.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara, the Japanese government spokesperson, said at a press conference on the 7th regarding whether Prime Minister Takaichi and he himself would visit Yasukuni Shrine or send ritual offerings, "It is a matter for the Prime Minister to judge appropriately, and the same goes for me."

Kyodo News interpreted the group visit by LDP executives as a move catering to Japan's conservative base, while also pointing out that it appears aimed at paving the way in advance for Prime Minister Takaichi to potentially visit Yasukuni Shrine in the future.

Attention is also focused on whether Prime Minister Takaichi will mention "remorse" and a "pledge not to wage war"—meaning a vow not to engage in warfare—in her address at the government-hosted memorial service for the war dead, marking her first surrender anniversary since taking office.

Successive Japanese prime ministers mentioned remorse and the pledge not to wage war at the memorial service, but these references were dropped starting in 2013 after the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, whom Prime Minister Takaichi regards as her "political mentor," returned to power.

Subsequently, former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Takaichi's predecessor, brought them back in his address at the memorial service on August 15 of last year, 13 years later, drawing significant attention.

Kumiko Haba, professor emeritus at Aoyama Gakuin University, told Tokyo Shimbun that Prime Minister Takaichi's past remarks regarding historical perceptions failed to acknowledge Japan's wartime aggressions, urging her to "exercise prudent speech and behavior on the surrender anniversary so as not to disrupt diplomacy with neighboring countries."

Meanwhile, Kyodo News reported that Chief Cabinet Secretary Kihara released a statement regarding the memorial service for the war dead, stating, "It is aimed at having all citizens offer deep condolences while renewing our pledge to establish permanent peace."

(Photo provided by Professor Seo Kyoung-duk, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.