Japan's Abe Visits Yasukuni Shrine... Second Time in One Month After Resignation

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Yasukuni Shrine last month, posting a photo on Twitter.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Yasukuni Shrine on the 19th. This was his second visit since stepping down a month ago.

According to the private broadcaster Fuji News Network (FNN), former Prime Minister Abe visited Yasukuni Shrine to coincide with the autumn grand festival, the Chukei Yataisai, held at the shrine. After paying respects, he told reporters, "I visited to express my reverence (尊崇, to highly honor and worship) for the spirits of the war dead."

This is Abe's second visit to Yasukuni Shrine since his resignation last month. He had previously visited the shrine on the 19th of last month, just three days after stepping down. During his second term in office, Abe visited Yasukuni Shrine once on December 26, 2013, but due to concerns over backlash from South Korea and China, he only offered offerings during the major spring and autumn festivals and on August 15, the day marking Japan’s defeat in World War II (Victory over Japan Day).

Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga offered a "Masakaki," an evergreen tree offering, to Yasukuni Shrine on the first day of the Chukei Yataisai on the 17th, in the name of the "Prime Minister of the Cabinet." Additionally, Welfare and Labor Minister Norihisa Tamura and Expo Minister Shinji Inoue also sent offerings to Yasukuni Shrine during this autumn grand festival period.

However, it is reported that no cabinet ministers in the Suga administration visited the shrine during this Chukei Yataisai period.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.