Yasukuni Shrine visits remained a sensitive issue during Japan’s recent three-day spring festival, which ended on Wednesday. None of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s Cabinet members visited the controversial shrine this year. Their absence reflected caution over diplomatic relations with China and South Korea.
Prime Minister Ishiba did not visit the shrine either. However, he sent a ritual masakaki offering on the festival’s first day. This gesture led to criticism from both China and South Korea. These nations view the shrine as a symbol of Japan’s military aggression in the 20th century.
This marked the second time Ishiba and his Cabinet stayed away from the shrine during a major festival. In October, they also avoided it during the autumn festival, which coincided with an important election campaign. Their continued absence appears to be part of a broader diplomatic approach.
Despite the government’s caution, some senior members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party still made Yasukuni Shrine visits. Former economic security minister Sanae Takaichi and ex-industry minister Yasutoshi Nishimura both offered prayers. These politicians had strong ties to the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who visited the shrine in 2013.
No sitting prime minister has visited the shrine since Abe’s visit. The shrine enshrines 2.4 million war dead, including wartime leaders convicted as war criminals. In 1978, the shrine controversially added figures such as former Prime Minister Hideki Tojo. He was executed after World War II for crimes against peace.
Japanese Yasukuni Shrine visits have repeatedly drawn strong protests from China and South Korea. These countries suffered under Japan’s wartime actions, including invasion and colonization. China experienced large-scale military aggression, while Korea endured colonization from 1910 to 1945.
Although tensions have eased recently, Japan continues to tread carefully. The government aims to avoid damaging its improving ties with Beijing and Seoul. These relationships remain fragile, and symbolism matters deeply in this regional context.
As a result, the Japanese government’s approach to Yasukuni Shrine visits remains restrained. Their strategy focuses on diplomacy and stability in Northeast Asia.
