Japanese minister visits controversial shrine to mark end of World War II

Japan marks 80 years since Emperor Hirohito announced his country’s surrender to Allied forces.

A Japanese furniture curate was among thousands of radical to sojourn a arguable warfare memorial successful Tokyo arsenic Japan marks 80 years since the extremity of World War II.

Agricultural Minister Shinjiro Koizumi connected Friday paid his respects astatine the Yasukuni Shrine, a awesome of Japan’s militaristic past.

He was joined by dozens of nationalist and section politicians from the far-right “Japan First” Sanseito Party, according to section media.

The Shinto shrine was built successful the 19th period to honour Japan’s warfare dead, but it is champion known for enshrining 14 Japanese “class A” warfare criminals and 1,000 others besides recovered blameworthy by an Allied tribunal aft World War II.

The Yasukuni Shrine is considered a governmental lightning rod successful East Asia, wherever memories of Japan’s wartime atrocities are not forgotten, but elder Japanese leaders person continued to sojourn implicit the years.

But the shrine was conscionable 1 tract wherever Japanese radical gathered connected Friday to people 80 years since Emperor Hirohito announced Japan’s surrender successful an August 15, 1945, vigor broadcast.

Tokyo formally surrendered a fewer weeks aboriginal connected September 2, 1945.

Japanese media reported that much than 4,000 radical attended the National Memorial Ceremony for the War Dead successful Tokyo, including Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako bow during a memorial work ceremonial marking the 80th day of Japan’s surrender successful World War II, astatine Budokan Hall, successful Tokyo, Japan, connected Friday [Manami Yamada/Reuters]

Ishiba spoke astatine the commemoration astir the lessons Japan carried from the war.

“We should ne'er repetition the devastation of war. We volition never, ever marque a mistake successful choosing the way to take,” Ishiba said, according to Kyodo News.

Ishiba besides spoke of Japan’s “remorse” implicit the war, marking the archetypal clip a Japanese premier curate utilized the word successful much than a decennary astatine a warfare memorial, the quality outlet said.

Japan famously adopted a pacifist constitution aft World War II, but wounds linger from decades of Japanese assemblage regularisation successful parts of Asia that lasted from 1895 to 1945.

The premier curate stopped abbreviated of straight mentioning Japan’s wartime aggression and the suffering it caused, a precedent acceptable by past Japanese leaders, Kyodo said.

Japan’s Emperor Naruhito besides attended the event, wherever helium said helium was “overcome with heavy emotion” astatine Japan’s translation since the extremity of World War II.

“It is my sincere anticipation that we transportation connected passing down the stories of the hardships endured during and aft the warfare and proceed successful unity of tone to question bid and the happiness of the radical successful the future,” helium said, according to Japanese media.

Japan past week besides marked 80 years since the US dropped atomic bombs connected Hiroshima and Nagasaki, sidesplitting much than 200,000 people.

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies