Politicians pray at controversial shrine
- 10 years ago
Thousands of citizens and over a hundred politicians and their representatives visited a controversial war shrine on Friday (August 15), a day much of Asia celebrates as liberation day from Japanese Imperial rule and Japan commemorates as the end of the World War Two.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a ritual offering to a Tokyo shrine for the war dead but did not join senior government officials and politicians in the visit, a decision meant to avoid inflaming ties with Beijing as he seeks a Sino-Japanese summit.
Instead around 83 members of parliament, including LDP policy chief Sanae Takaichi, paid their respects at Yasukuni. More than 100 sent aides.
Abe's offering to the Yasukuni Shrine on the 69th anniversary of Japan's defeat in World War Two still angered South Korea and China, where bitter memories linger of Japan's actions before and during the war.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a ritual offering to a Tokyo shrine for the war dead but did not join senior government officials and politicians in the visit, a decision meant to avoid inflaming ties with Beijing as he seeks a Sino-Japanese summit.
Instead around 83 members of parliament, including LDP policy chief Sanae Takaichi, paid their respects at Yasukuni. More than 100 sent aides.
Abe's offering to the Yasukuni Shrine on the 69th anniversary of Japan's defeat in World War Two still angered South Korea and China, where bitter memories linger of Japan's actions before and during the war.