By Zhong Sheng, People’s Daily
On April 21, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, in her capacity as prime minister, presented a ritual offering known as a masakaki to the Yasukuni Shrine, a site that enshrines Class-A war criminals from World War II and carries a notorious legacy.
In this year marking the 80th anniversary of the beginning of the Tokyo trials, such an act, taken in defiance of global opinion, constitutes a deliberate affront to human conscience, a blatant profanation of historical justice, and an arrogant provocation against the outcomes of victory in World War II.
The forces that stand for justice worldwide should remain highly vigilant against such regressive moves and make clear-eyed judgments about Japan’s strategic trajectory.
The Yasukuni Shrine has never been a purely religious site; it is a symbol of Japan’s militarist past and, in fact, a shrine for war criminals. Among the 14 Class-A war criminals enshrined there are figures such as Hideki Tojo, No.1 war criminal and warmonger; Kenji Doihara, major culprit of aggression against China; Iwane Matsui, top perpetrator of the Nanjing Massacre; Osami Nagano, order-giver of the Pearl Harbor attack; and Kuniaki Koiso, mass murderer on the Korean Peninsula. They are all major war criminals responsible for atrocities against the people in Asia and the rest of the world.
The Tokyo trials have long passed a just ruling on Japan’s war of aggression and militarist atrocities, branding these war criminals forever infamous in history. No matter how elaborate her excuses are, Takaichi’s reverence for these historical culprits cannot cover up her ulterior motives and harmful implications: denying the validity of the Tokyo trials, whitewashing Japan’s aggressive history, and defending war criminals.
This latest offering once again exposes the deeply flawed and dangerous right-wing historical outlook held by certain Japanese politicians. For years, visits to the Yasukuni Shrine have served as a symbolic act for right-wing forces seeking to revive militarism. As early as 2007, Takaichi visited the shrine as a cabinet member, and since 2014 she has paid homage more than 10 times, revealing the depth of her fixation.
At its core, such worship amounts to tacit endorsement of the so-called “Yasukuni view of history” promoted by the shrine’s core facility, the Yushukan Museum. This narrative distorts facts to obscure the history of aggression, attributes the outbreak of war to alleged “provocations” or “pressure” from the United States, the United Kingdom, and even China, and portrays Japan’s wars of aggression as efforts to “liberate Asia” and build a “Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere,” glorifying military exploits and the so-called “Bushido spirit.”
These absurd claims that whitewash militarism stand in stark contradiction to the broad consensus of the international community on historical issues. Recently, an alarming incident occurred in which an active-duty member of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces, influenced by extremist ideology, illegally broke into the Chinese embassy in Japan armed with a knife. This exactly underscored the depth and danger of such distorted thinking.
That a sitting Japanese leader would insist on offering tribute at a site that glorifies militarism reflects a broader strategic attempt by Japan’s right-wing forces to further break through the constraints of the post-war international order and domestic legal frameworks.
For some time, Japan has taken a series of dangerous provocative moves. Takaichi has openly made erroneous remarks concerning Taiwan, blatantly meddling in China’s internal affairs. Japanese Self-Defense Forces warships have sailed across the Taiwan Strait to flaunt military strength and deliberately stir tensions.
Japan has also deployed long-range missiles allegedly capable of enemy base strikes in Kumamoto and Shizuoka prefectures. Meanwhile, the Japanese government has revised its Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology and relevant implementation guidelines, opening the door to overseas exports of lethal weapons.
All these acts are essentially identical to paying homage at the Yasukuni Shrine. They demonstrate that Japanese right-wing forces are abandoning peaceful development and engaging in reckless resurgence of neo-militarism. Driven by such forces, Japan is abandoning its posture as a peaceful country and posing growing threats to regional peace and stability.
A Japan that fails to fully come to terms with its history of aggression cannot establish itself in the international community, no matter how it attempts to disguise itself. A correct understanding and handling of history is the political foundation for Japan’s relations with its neighbors.
The Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed deep disappointment and regret over Takaichi’s offering to Yasukuni Shrine, urging Japan’s leadership to adopt a responsible attitude, face history squarely, and engage in genuine reflection with humility and concrete actions.
The chorus of criticism from the international community once again demonstrates that justice, light, and progress will ultimately prevail over evil, darkness, and reactionary forces. Any attempt to deny the history of aggression or challenge international justice will inevitably meet with broad opposition.
Japan’s militarist wars of aggression brought catastrophe to the peoples of Asia and inflicted profound suffering on the Japanese people themselves. Today, if right-wing politicians such as Takaichi persist in clinging to erroneous historical views and continue down a path that departs from peace and justice, they will once again face serious scrutiny from the international community and the judgment of history.
(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People’s Daily to express its views on foreign policy and international affairs.)
