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| China-Japan-Koreas |
| Koizumi visits controversial shrine for Japanese WW2 dead |
| 2005-10-17 |
| Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi paid homage on Monday at a shrine for war dead seen by critics as a symbol of Japan's past militarism, drawing a swift protest from South Korea and certain to outrage China as well. Japan's relations with its neighbors have already chilled because of Koizumi's annual visits to Tokyo's Yasukuni shrine, where war criminals convicted by an Allied tribunal are honored along with the nation's 2.5 million war dead. Koizumi — clad in a dark suit rather than the traditional Japanese garb he has worn on some past visits — bowed, put his hands together in prayer and stood silently in front of an outer shrine for a moment before striding back to his car in front of a crowd that had gathered in a drizzling rain. Koizumi did not enter an inner shrine as he has in the past and made no remarks. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda told reporters the visit was made in a private capacity. Japanese media said the low key atmosphere appeared to be an attempt to stress its private nature and mute the expected backlash from China and South Korea as well as domestic critics. South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon, however, swiftly summoned Japanese ambassador Shotaro Oshima to complain. "We strongly protest the visit to Yasukuni shrine despite our request and strongly urge that it is not repeated," Ban said. Japanese business executives have been worried that the strain in diplomatic ties will hurt burgeoning economic relations between China and Japan especially. Tokyo stock market investors, recalling a slide in share prices after anti-Japanese protests in China in April, were wary of the possible fallout from Koizumi's visit to the shrine. Japan and China are trying to arrange talks in Beijing between Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura and his Chinese counterpart, Li Zhaoxing, to discuss a possible leaders' summit later this year, media have reported. It was not clear how the Yasukuni visit would affect those discussions. Koizumi has repeatedly said he visits Yasukuni to pray for peace and honor the war dead, not to glorify militarism. Koizumi has avoided visiting the shrine on August 15, the anniversary of Japan's 1945 surrender that ended World War Two and an emotive date in the region, but his visits on other occasions have nonetheless infuriated China and other countries. "It's fine for the prime minister to stick to his beliefs, but given his status as the Japanese leader he should think about relations between countries and the people's feelings," said Choi Young-soo, 44, a South Korean on a sightseeing trip to the shrine. "He should not stir up ill feelings." Bitter memories of Japan's 1910-1945 colonization run deep in North and South Korea, while China has not forgotten Tokyo's invasion and occupation before and during World War Two. Despite a huge victory for Koizumi's ruling Liberal Democratic Party in a general election last month, Japan's public is divided over the Yasukuni visits. Courts have given conflicting rulings on whether they violate the constitutional separation of religion and state. Takenori Kanzaki, the leader of LDP coalition partner New Komeito — a Buddhist-backed party — told reporters Koizumi's visit was extremely regrettable, Kyodo news agency reported. But Hiroki Kanematsu, a 20-year-old law student who went to Yasukuni to watch Koizumi, said he backed the prime minister's stance. "Since he started making the visits, he should not stop just because of what China says." Another student, Ai Yamaguchi, took a different view. "It would be fine for him to go as an individual, but he is the prime minister, so it is not good," she said. "We should seek good ties with China and South Korea because they are our close neighbors." |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #3 I think we have seen reunions with American and Japanese servicemembers at Iwo Jima and Okinawa marking the anniversay of the battles. It is appearent those who went through the actual horror are able to forgive far more easier than those who sat thousands of miles away and decades later. It may also be because Americans seldom believe in allowing history to destroy their future as all too many societies and cultures do. |
| Posted by: Cromolet Omomong5969 2005-10-17 16:39 |
| #2 The big issue is external understanding of the faith system of Japan. This is about religion and doesn't effect the outside world. These are not political visits. Praying to and for the people memorailzed is thought to help them move on.(Japan is Buddhist) It also is thought to settle their spirits and help maintain peace in the world of mortals. The Korean's and Chinese know better. They can't resist the opportunity to dip Japan is crap over WW2. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet O´ Doom 2005-10-17 15:13 |
| #1 ...My understanding is that Yasakuni is not only Japan's Arlington, but there is a spiritual/religious aspect associated with it as well. Koizumi almost has to visit it - it would be much like the Pope not visiting St Peters. Mike |
| Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2005-10-17 14:40 |