Over 100 Japanese Ruling and Opposition Lawmakers Conduct Group Visit to Yasukuni Shrine

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Over 100 Japanese lawmakers collectively paid respects at Yasukuni Shrine, a symbol of Japanese militarism.

According to Kyodo News on the 22nd, the cross-party group of lawmakers called "The Parliamentary Group Visiting Yasukuni Shrine Together" conducted a collective visit on the morning of the second day of the Autumn Grand Festival (memorial service). Sankei Shimbun reported that 102 lawmakers from both the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, the Constitutional Democratic Party, and Nippon Ishin no Kai participated.

Included were former Olympic Minister Endo Toshiaki, LDP Diet Affairs Committee Chairman Takagi Tsuyoshi, LDP Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Sato Masahisa, and Deputy Minister of the Environment Mutai Shunsuke.

This group's collective visit to Yasukuni Shrine was the first in about four months since December last year. They have been collectively visiting Yasukuni Shrine annually during the Spring (April) and Autumn (October) Grand Festivals and on the Pacific War's end date (August 15).

Former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo and LDP Policy Research Council Chairwoman Takaiichi Sanae paid respects in person the day before. Prime Minister Kishida Fumio offered a tribute under the name "Prime Minister of the Cabinet Kishida Fumio."

Yasukuni Shrine is a facility commemorating approximately 2.46 million people who died in civil wars and militaristic wars in Japan since the Meiji Restoration. It enshrines 14 Class A war criminals from the Pacific War, including Hideki Tojo, who were sentenced to death by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East (Tokyo Trials).

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