Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi visited the Yasukuni Shrine, which honors the nation's war dead, amid escalating diplomatic tensions with neighboring countries.
The move came on Saturday (August 15), the 81st anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II. Yasukuni Shrine commemorates about 2.5 million war dead, mainly Japanese, including convicted war criminals linked to Japan's imperial aggression and occupation of parts of Asia during the 1930s and 1940s.
China and South Korea have long viewed the shrine, and the frequent visits by senior Japanese politicians, as a symbol of Japan's failure to fully atone for past atrocities committed by its military.
After leaving the shrine without answering reporters' questions, Koizumi, a frequent visitor to Yasukuni, wrote on Instagram that the visit was meant to “express reverence to the heroic souls who gave their precious lives for their country.” He also stressed, “Together with the vow to renounce war, I reaffirm my resolve to continue fulfilling the responsibility of maintaining Japan's postwar path as a peace-loving nation.”
Earlier, there had been speculation that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who also regularly visited the shrine before becoming prime minister in October, might make a trip, but she did not. Local media reported that Takaichi sent a ritual offering to the shrine, similar to former prime ministers.
China's Foreign Ministry said it “strongly condemns” Prime Minister Takaichi's offering and Defense Minister Koizumi's visit. “We have lodged strong protests with the Japanese side,” the ministry said.
South Korea's Foreign Ministry expressed “deep regret” over what it called the “anachronistic” actions of Japanese leaders, urging Japan's leadership to confront history and demonstrate through actions “humble reflection and genuine repentance” for past wrongs.
Among the 2.5 million enshrined at Yasukuni are 14 wartime leaders convicted of the most serious crimes, along with at least 1,000 others convicted by Allied courts after Japan's 1945 defeat. Japanese officials have explained their visits as private gestures to honor those who died in the country's wars.
This is not the first time a Japanese defense minister has visited Yasukuni; the most recent was Minoru Kihara in 2024. The last sitting prime minister to visit was Shinzo Abe in December 2013, a move that drew criticism from the administration of then-U.S. President Barack Obama.
