Due to the controversy surrounding the enshrinement of 14 Class-A war criminals, Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine is rarely out of the news. And as such, the commonly named ‘war shrine’ is a constant source of tension between Japan and its neighbours, particularly when the Prime Minister opts to visit in an official capacity — fully aware of the anger it will cause.
Similarly, Yasukuni is also a focal point for Japan’s various nationalist organisations, especially so on politically sensitive, or culturally significant dates. Like yesterday, which was National Foundation Day.
A day that in many ways perfectly sums up the problems and contradictions of Yasukuni. In the morning, there was the regular flow of locals, tourists and veterans — all there to pay their respects or simply to take photographs and look around. Then shortly after lunch, a large number of uniform wearing nationalists were noisily bussed in. A group that once organised, marched in line up to the main shrine area.
Where they stood to attention.
Quietly observed the planned and carefully orchestrated ceremony.
Then did an about-face.
Moved flag bearers back up to the front.
And then made a fairly speedy march back to the entrance.
Their exit once again leaving Yasukuni Shrine to the families and much less antagonistic visitors that it’s generally more accustomed to.
Chris says
Great photos man. I used to live at the corner of 桜田通り and 外苑æ±é€šã‚Š in the vicinity of the Russian Embassy, and WOW were my ears blown out that first Saturday morning after I moved in. The leasing agent forgot to let me know about the weekly (sometimes more) protests right outside my 2nd floor window…
Anyway, good photos. Brings back some very noisy memories!
Lee says
Thanks a lot!
Blimey, I can only imagine what that was like. There’s noisy, and then there’s uyoku noisy…
Martin says
Good set of photos. It’s interesting how guys like these (and it’s pretty much always guys) look the same all over the world. Of course in the US they would all be heavily armed lol.
Lee says
Cheers!
There’s always that to be thankful for, but yeah, there does seem to be a particular ‘type’, doesn’t there? Pretty much the same in the UK too.
An Expat says
Why do I keeping thinking about Germany between the wars?
Lee says
Not surprisingly really. What with Abe in charge. The new secrecy bill. A pro-government man in charge of NHK. Not to mention a very real threat to the pacifist constitution. And all in all it doesn’t look good, does it?
Hans ter Horst says
Great photos, just cannot stand looking at them them because of the nationalists who have caused so much pain and distress to Japan and large parts of the world.
I do also see signs of nationalism at other Shinto shrines so I prefer to stay away from them and only visit temples 🙂
Lee says
Cheers!
I know what you mean. I’m just as appalled by what they represent — both in the past and in a potentially horrendous future — and yet at the same time I’m oddly fascinated by them. Who are they? What are their backgrounds? And what on earth led them to be marching into Yasukuni in military gear?
Wouldn’t be the most comfortable of interviews, but I’d love to sit down with one of them at some point and try and get some answers.
Willy says
This thing has come up in some of my acquaintances. .they have a rational for it.. like religious fundamentalists.. there is no changing there minds. Shitty stuff.. maybe even a kind of slow-mo natural disaster. I dunno. wish it would go away. But from my experience, Japan is better than all that rubbish. Still love the place despite the occasional wart.
Lee says
It is. And of course they are a small minority. But with the noise they make, it’s easy to get alarmed by them. Or at the very least overestimate the capabilities.
That said, with Abe in power, and the likes of Hashimoto and Ishihara having proved popular with the electorate, there’s still a worrying number of people who have have somewhat similar views.
GenjiG says
Seems like a jolly bunch of individuals 😉
Lee says
To be fair to them, it is a religious/solemn ceremony, so smiles would be out of place. Not that they gave me many smiles as I passed them on the way out when they were getting ready to leave!
GenjiG says
You have a point, but something tells me their lives are not about a lot of smiles anyway. Especially not for gaijin…
Lee says
Yeah, hard to imagine how that kind of anger makes any kind of life possible. Apart, of course, from an unhappy one…
Willy says
And they all look so angry…
Lee says
Angry no doubt at the way they perceive their country to have pandered to the likes of democracy, peace and other such left-wing vices.
Sean says
Can you comment on the what/why they were there?
Lee says
They are there for a Shinto ceremony. The same far right group are there every year actually, as are other similarly extremist organisations/individuals. Quite what the ceremony is about I don’t know. One of them had a prepared speech/prayer that he read out in front of the shrine, but I couldn’t hear what he was saying.
Yasukuni Shrine is a focal point for right-wing groups, and on certain days throughout the year, huge numbers of them congregate there – National Foundation Day (Feb 11) being one of them. Not only is it a celebration of the foundation of Japan, but it was also once called Empire Day, and designed to unify the country and focus attention on the emperor. A harking back to the past and the Emperor that those photographed seem to long after.
John says
What a bunch of losers. With the sour look on their face they look like the guys from Exile.
Lee says
Not sure the perfectly turned out boys of Exile would agree with you!
Jeffrey says
Lee,
Hazard a guess of how many are yakuza? Those who are ethnic Korean may not be too inclined to this, and I don’t remember if Jake Adelstein commented on this in “Tokyo Vice” and I have yet to read Whiting’s book on the same subject.
Lee says
I was wondering that very same thing when I was there. Only guessing of course, but I reckon it could be none of them. Or if some of them are, they’d be very low down in the ranks. They just seemed too much of a ragtag outfit to be Yakuza.
The small group of suited men watching over them and very much in charge, on the other hand, could well be…
Hans ter Horst says
I just showed your photos to my Japanese wife, she finds you very brave for having taken these photos; frankly, she is right and I wouldn’t have dared. A friend of mine visited Yasukuni during one of the nationalist parades by accident and his Japanese wife told me that she had was scared by the strange atmosphere around her NJ husband.
My wife pointed out this your photo series actually changed her image of Yasukuni. She never really understood what the big deal was with Yasukuni and politicians visiting as it was about honouring the war dead from past centuries. She read up on Japanese books available abroad and she knows that the schoolbooks she was taught from are largely glossing over large parts of history and she realizes that pretending things didn’t happen doesn’t make it a fact. The “Lalalalala, I cannot hear you” is easily disproved if you want to listen. Anyway, back to your photos: my wife knew that there were right wing people parading there, but never realized that they were getting blessings from the priests. Bit of a shock to her as like so many Japanese, she doesn’t like the nationalists at all. Unfortunately, the prime minister is one of them.
She pointed out the some of them are wearing the Imperial Seal on their backs. I have the feeling if the Japanese emperor was allowed to speak up, he would puke over these people.
Lee says
Interesting. Thanks a lot for letting me know. Really good to hear that the photos made her think. I can’t ask for anything more than that.
To be honest, I wanted to get nearer, but with a 35mm lens, that’s as close as I felt I could get without causing potential problems. As it was also a ceremony of some kind, I didn’t want to be totally disrespectful either, regardless of their odious views.
Yeah, the Emperor has hinted at some quite liberal views. Revere him they might, but like you say, he wouldn’t want anything to do with them. Let alone them acting in his name.
Cooper says
With all respect, that is the problem. A majority of Japanese DO NOT educate themselves on history. Yes, Japan’s nationalism led itself into a massive disaster in 1941-1945l. HOWEVER, ready for this?, HOWEVER, it is this very same nationalism over the course of 2500+ years that has kept Japan the country that it is: proud, unique, wonderful….GORGEOUS.
Stop thinking about the war and think about a people wanting to PROTECT the oldest continuous society in history.
Too many Japanese people refuse to bother themselves with the thought necessary to understand those who would come out to march in front of Yasukuni Shrine and therefore immediately dismiss them.
These people are NOT National Socialist or Fascist Brown Shirts…..instead, they are in love of their country, and like any American in love with his country, I CAN respect that,
Squidpuppy says
Weird uniforms. I prefer the guys in WW2 Imperial Japanese Army garb – just as a point of aesthetics. Also, these guys have rather poor esprit de corps – very sloppy. They remind me of neo-nazis and skinheads, which makes sense. I was surprised to see a temple priest blessing their flag, but I guess a substantial donation goes a long way.
Is there any suggestion that some of them are simply rounded up off the streets, given the uniform, and paid for their presence?
Lee says
Yeah, I know what you mean. All very sloppy. They’ve sort of made the effort, and yet at the same time, haven’t.
No, not at all. They all arrive in a huge convoy of speaker-equipped and chrysanthemum-emblazoned vehicles. A mix of coaches, cars and jeeps. Quite a spectacle really. Also, I recognise some of the faces from precious years.
Squidpuppy says
These are great shots, because one can clearly read something of the individual temperament and thinking in the faces of these fellows, and in their dress, etc. That’s something far more difficult to do in a properly disciplined cohort, like real troops on parade. It’s very telling: this lot, while serious, is clueless in a lot of respects. One can see the same things in photos of SA “stormtroopers” in the early ’30s in Germany.
Two guys I really like: the one wearing a cold mask, and the kid with yellow hair LOL
Lee says
Thanks.
That’s a very good point. It would be interesting to sit down with some of them and see how much they are actually aware of, or know to be factually correct. I’d also like to know what actually led them from merely having a tendency for such views, to joining a group and attending such events.
Cooper says
Laugh all you want. These men LOVE and RESPECT their country, regardless of their dress. What do you respect? What do you defend? Your parents’ basement? If we only had a few more of these types in the U.S., we wouldn’t be facing the DISASTER that America is becoming now.
Lee says
A disaster due to increased divisions, massive financial disparity and shootings? Sure fellas like these would sort all that out in no time…
Frank says
I don’t know what the lads hope to achieve. They can’t even iron their own uniforms.
Lee says
That sums them up perfectly.
Erin says
When I visited Yasukuni for the first time I was surprised how unassuming it felt. I also felt a lot better about the shrine once I realized it’s a shrine to all the soldiers who fought to defend Japan throughout history.
Lee says
That’s were it all gets very tricky. Despite all the controversy and the war criminals, it is a place to remember those who died for their country.
Brett says
No snow then this year? The last lot looked quite emotive and sad with the snow. This lot just look pissed off.
Lee says
Nah, had plenty of it, but not on that particular day…
Hans ter Horst says
Leave it to Bieber, talk about a guy self-destructing in the last year :-):
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/apr/25/justin-bieber-offence-south-korea-war-shrine-visit
Lee says
I know… For a story connected to Yasukuni, however, there was at least an apology – albeit a very botched one!
Cooper says
I have read the comments here and I RESPECT them all. Let me preface my comment by saying that my grandfather (Tropic Lightning FOREVER) was one of the FIRST Americans to be shot at by Japanese soldiers during World War II at Schofield Barracks at Pearl Harbor (portrayed by an actor in From Here to Eternity) and also fought at Guadalcanal. Therefore, I play no favorites. Now, let me continue…
I am a WHITE American of Eastern European descent. I speak fluent street Japanese and understand their culture. These “uyoku†right-wing banger-types are to be APPLAUDED. They are keeping Japan JAPANESE. Japan is a beautiful nation with beautiful culture and heritage. One of the few modern nations unsullied by the liberal scourge of multiculturalism or political correctness. Anytime I see one of those “uyoku†trucks cruising down the street, I applaud it as it goes by. Now, you might think that I am deluded or ridiculous, however, I have been in street fights with the Yakuza and met a few of the “sergeants.†Believe it or not, once they realize that you SPEAK their language/dialect, UNDERSTAND their culture, and RESPECT their ways…they take you in as one of their own. They are not racist, but nationalist. And I wish this upon my fellow Americans more and MORE AND MORE in these days of unchecked liberalism which is TEARING OUR COUNTRY TO PIECES.
Lee says
But what’s wrong with good old fashioned patriotism? Why does everything have to be extreme, divisive and downright discriminatory?
Frankly I think you are deluded. Massively so. But as an unchecked liberal enjoying food from all over the globe, fair trade coffee and fannying around in sandals, what do I know?