The South Korean authorities protested in connection with the next visit of Japanese politicians to the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo and the presentation of gifts from the Japanese government to the temple, which neighboring Asian countries associate with admiration for Japanese militarism.
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“The government expresses deep disappointment and regret that senior Japanese leaders are again making gifts and visiting the Yasukuni Shrine, which glorifies Japan’s past military aggressions and unites war criminals,” the South Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
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The South Korean government called on Japanese officials to “face history head on” and act to demonstrate “sincere and humble reflection” on past deeds. The Foreign Ministry stressed that this is an “important basis” for the development of future-oriented relations between South Korea and Japan.
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Earlier it was reported that Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made a ritual offering to the Yasukuni Shrine.
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On behalf of the Prime Minister, in honor of the spring temple festivals, which will be held this year for three days, starting on April 21, a ritual offering was sent to the Yasukuni Shrine in the form of a sakaki tree (Japanese glue) decorated with two red ribbons in a pot with the inscription: “From the Prime Minister Minister Fumio Kishida.”
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Kishida, like his predecessors in this post Shinzo Abe and Yoshihide Suga, will also refrain from visiting the temple in person this year. He made the same offering in the previous two years since he became Prime Minister.
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At the same time, Minister of Economic Recovery Yoshitaka Shindo visited the temple in person.
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Visits to the temple by Japanese politicians, as a rule, occur three times a year – on ritual holidays in April and October, as well as on the day of the announcement of Japan’s withdrawal from World War II – August 15. Some politicians visit the temple at the end of the year.
