Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is not expected to visit the Yasukuni Shrine on the 15th, which is Korea's Liberation Day and Japan's defeat day, Japanese media reported.
According to Kyodo News and Jiji Press on the 12th, Prime Minister Takaichi is coordinating not to visit the Yasukuni Shrine on the 15th. Kyodo reported that if Prime Minister Takaichi visits the Yasukuni Shrine, regarded as a symbol of Japanese militarism, it could risk disrupting recently improving Japan-Korea relations and trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the United States, and Japan. It was also interpreted that diplomatic consideration is needed, given that strong backlash from China is expected.
Prime Minister Takaichi has regularly visited the Yasukuni Shrine during the spring and autumn "Reitaisai (grand festivals)" and on Aug. 15, Korea's Liberation Day and Japan's defeat day. In the Liberal Democratic Party leadership election held in October last year, Takaichi also said that if appointed prime minister, she would visit the Yasukuni Shrine, noting that such visits should not become a diplomatic issue. However, since then, Prime Minister Takaichi has not visited in person and has only dedicated offerings in a private capacity.
About 2,466,000 people who died in civil wars in Japan around the Meiji Restoration and in wars waged by imperial Japan are enshrined at the Yasukuni Shrine. In particular, Class-A war criminals from the Pacific War, including former Prime Minister Hideki Tojo, who were executed following the International Military Tribunal for the Far East (Tokyo Trials), are also enshrined there, prompting opposition from neighboring countries such as Korea and China to visits by Japanese politicians.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Gihara, the Japanese government Spokesperson, said at a news conference on the 7th that whether Prime Minister Takaichi and the chief cabinet secretary himself would make a visit to the Yasukuni Shrine or dedicate offering fees "is a matter for the prime minister to judge appropriately, and the same goes for me."