Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi yesterday sent an offering to a shrine seen by Japan’s neighbors as glorifying its wartime past, in a move that stopped short of a visit, but might still anger China and other neighboring nations.
Takaichi’s offering of a sacred tree was made on the first day of a traditional spring festival at Yasukuni Shrine, local media said, and is in line with similar moves by her predecessors Shigeru Ishiba and Fumio Kishida during their time in office.
While her decision not to go the shrine showed her more cautious stance on the issue, the leader of a party in Takaichi’s ruling coalition visited the shrine yesterday, Nikkei Shimbun reported.
Photo: EPA
“My understanding is that Prime Minister Takaichi made an offering in a personal capacity, so we as the government are not in a position to comment on the matter,” Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told a regular news briefing yesterday.
Kihara did not comment on the reported visit by Japan Innovation Party coleader Fumitake Fujita.
Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Guo Jiakun (郭嘉昆) said his nation “resolutely opposes and strongly condemns Japan’s recent negative moves concerning the Yasukuni Shrine.”
Photo: Reuters
He added at the regular press briefing that Beijing had filed a diplomatic complaint with Tokyo over the matter.
South Korea expressed “deep disappointment and regret” over the offering.
“Our government urges Japan’s responsible leaders to face history squarely and to demonstrate, through action, a humble reflection on and a sincere remorse for its past,” South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Park Il told reporters.
“We reiterate that this serves as an important foundation for building a future-oriented South Korea-Japan relationship grounded in mutual trust,” he said
Takaichi had been a regular visitor to the shrine in the past few years, including on the Aug. 15 anniversary last year marking the end of the war, and the spring festival.
Most prime ministers and Cabinet ministers have avoided visiting the shrine in recent years, but Takaichi continued to visit while part of the Cabinet.
Takaichi, who is known to hold conservative views and had said previously that she would continue visiting the shrine if she were to become prime minister, said “this shouldn’t become a diplomatic issue,” late last year when asked if she would visit the shrine.
“I’ll make appropriate decisions at the appropriate time on praying for peace,” she added.
Additional reporting by AFP
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