Tokyo’s Yasukuni Jinja is often referred to as the capital’s ‘war shrine’, and, as 14 Class-A war criminals are enshrined there, it’s a moniker not exactly unwarranted. An element that makes any official visit hugely controversial, resulting in increased tension between Japan and its Asian neighbours.
At the same time, however, it is where almost two and a half million of Japan’s war dead are also enshrined. Young soldiers and citizens who, like countless others all over the world, served their country. Many not because of ideology or desire, but out of duty. Men and women who quite rightly deserve the respect of their families, comrades and country people.
The only trouble is, the aforementioned controversy that surrounds the shrine, and the far-right groups that use it as a rallying point, often make it difficult to distinguish between honour and hostility, prayer and propaganda.
Hans ter Horst says
I completely agree that the war dead, citizens and soldiers, should be honoured but I would honour them as the victims of the government and military and not as heroes giving their lives for their country.Something that should be remembered to be prevented Having said that, it is only recently that some people in countries like Holland (mine), Britain, Belgium, etc etc are getting to terms with their imperialist pasts, so I feel humbled and shut up.
Lee says
Yes, likewise. It’s such an emotional issue, and one only made more difficult by Yasukuni itself. Or at least the decision to enshrine war criminals as well.
Slightly off-topic, but I passed a nationalist banging on about one of Japan’s disputed islands just outside Yasukuni once. I went to take his photo while shaking my head and he asked me where I was from. The moment I said Britain, he mentioned the Falklands, saying our country’s were in no way dissimilar.
I tried to explain that it was different, but then quickly realised I was on very sticky ground. I’m no apologist for either country as they both have an awful lot to answer for, but it did reinforce the hypocritical stance of many governments.
Hans ter Horst says
100% in agreement with you, and I don’t like what China is doing at all, they seem to be claiming island by island from different countries by shaking a lot of weapons (previously from the Philippines) and the only way forward for Japan that I can see is to force strong relations with all their neighbours. Instead they seem to be going out of their way to alienate them and isolate themselves. Obama is not coming to the rescue, their economic ties to China have surpassed the ties with Japan.
An Expat says
Damned fools (ã°ã‹è€…）they weren’t even kids when the war ended!
@ Hans Ter Horst; That China is now flexing its muscle is no surprise. It is part of what historians call the ‘dynastic cycle’ in this case China and the current ‘dynasty’ (the Communists) are in the aggressive, expansionist stage. Noteworthy to0 is that until Okinawa was overrun by the Japanese in the 1600’s it considered itself a tributary state of China.
Lee says
I know…
There again, that’s perhaps part of the problem. It all depends on what they were taught when they were kids. Or more importantly, what they weren’t taught.