On Japan's Defeat Anniversary, Environment and Education Ministers Visit Yasukuni Shrine Consecutively

Defense Minister and Economic Revitalization Minister Visit on the 13th
Suga Prime Minister Replaces with Tribute Considering Opposition from South Korea and China Foreign Ministers

Koichi Hagiuda, Japanese Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and Shinjiro Koizumi, Minister of the Environment, visited Yasukuni Shrine in Kudanshita, Tokyo, on the morning of the 15th. The photo shows Minister Koizumi entering the shrine for the visit. Photo by Kyodo / Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] Japanese Cabinet members led by Yoshihide Suga visited Yasukuni Shrine, where 14 Class-A war criminals from Japan's Pacific War defeat are enshrined, on the 15th, the anniversary of Japan's defeat in the Pacific War.

According to Japanese media such as Nikkei Newspaper and NHK Broadcasting, Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Koichi Hagiuda paid their respects at Yasukuni Shrine that morning.

Since the inauguration of the Suga Yoshihide Cabinet in September last year, visits to Yasukuni Shrine by sitting ministers have continued for two consecutive years.

Earlier on the 13th, Nobuo Kishi, the younger brother of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and current Defense Minister, and Economic Revitalization Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura visited Yasukuni Shrine.

This is the first visit to Yasukuni Shrine by a sitting Defense Minister since Tomomi Inada in December 2016. Our government expressed its protest through a critical statement and by summoning the Japanese ambassador to Korea.

Upon leaving Yasukuni Shrine, Minister Hagiuda told reporters, "It is natural to pay respects with reverence and worship to ancestors who made noble sacrifices for their country," and added, "I believe this will be understood."

There were no visits by Japanese ministers to Yasukuni Shrine from 2017 to 2019. However, in 2020, four people including Environment Minister Koizumi visited Yasukuni Shrine, sparking backlash from Korea and China.

Meanwhile, it was reported by Jiji Press that Prime Minister Suga decided to offer a ritual offering instead of visiting Yasukuni Shrine on the anniversary of the defeat.

Jiji Press analyzed that Prime Minister Suga is prioritizing diplomatic considerations, conscious of the backlash from China and Korea regarding shrine visits.

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