Tokyo -- Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, ignoring criticism from
home and abroad, visited the war criminals-honoring Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo
early Tuesday morning.
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro
Koizumi visits Tokyo's Yasukuni shrine August 15, 2006. Koizumi paid his
respects at Tokyo's controversial Yasukuni shrine for war dead on Tuesday,
the anniversary of his country's World War Two surrender, a parting shot
sure to enrage neighbours China and South Korea.
[Reuters] |
Koizumi, in a tailcoat, arrived at the shrine at around 7:40 am local time
Tuesday (2240 GMT Monday). He then bowed in the main hall of the shrine.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry, in a statement, lodged a strong protest against
Tuesday's visit by Koizumi to the shrine, which has been regarded as a symbol of
the past Japanese militarism.
Koizumi has visited the shrine for five consecutive years since he took
office in April 2001. But Tuesday's visit was the first he had ever paid on
August 15, the anniversary of Japan's defeat in World War II.
Koizumi, who last visited the shrine on October 17, 2005, is expected to step
down as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) as well as premier
in September.
The Yasukuni Shrine, established in 1869 under Emperor Meiji, honors 2.5
million Japanese war dead including 14 class-A war criminals responsible for the
most atrocious crimes during Japan's war of aggression against its Asian
neighbors.
In 1978, the 14 class-A war criminals, including wartime prime minister
Hideki Tojo, were listed as the enshrined at the Yasukuni Shrine.
Koizumi's visits to the shrine have been denounced by countries which
suffered Japan's brutal aggression before and during World War II.
Koizumi's previous visits have chilled Japan's relations with neighboring
China and South Korea, making the issue the major stumbling block in the smooth
development of relations with those countries.
The visits also drew criticism from the public and mass media in Japan.
Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki told reporters that Koizumi's visit to the
Yasukuni Shrine is hard to understand from abroad.
Takenori Kanzaki, leader of the New Komeito party, the coalition partner of
Koizumi's ruling LDP, expressed his regret over the visit.
"It is quite regrettable because (the visit came) on the symbolic day of
August 15," he told reporters following Koizumi's visit.
Yukio Hatoyama, secretary general of the main opposition Democratic Party of
Japan, said "the visit was an absurd act which could not be more irresponsible,"
according to Kyodo News.
Japanese Communist Party leader Kazuo Shii also criticized Koizumi over the
visit. "The end-of-war anniversary should be a day when we express our resolve
not to repeat the war of invasion. But (the premier) dared to go today. That
merely made the issue of Yasukuni more complicated, " Shii told a press
conference.
In a separate press conference, Mizuho Fukushima, head of the Social
Democratic Party, said the premier's visit was a mistake.
"August 15 should be a day when we share a pledge of no more war. But (the
premier) is trying to change the nature of the anniversary into a day of
justifying sacrifice to state," she said.
After Koizumi's shrine visit on Tuesday, the Japan-China Friendship
Association also voiced its strong protest.
In a statement sent to Xinhua, the general director of the association,
Kyuhei Muraoka, said that they felt "indignant" over Koizumi's sixth visit to
the shrine, where 14 top war criminals were honored, especially at a time when
most Japanese were urging Koizumi to refrain from such visits.
The statement said most countries hope that Japan and China can be on
friendly terms whereas Koizumi's action is against such wishes. Koizumi is
responsible for the suspension of summit talks with East Asian leaders and the
wreck of mutual trust with neighboring nations.
The association called on the next cabinet and the new prime minister, who
was expected to assume the post in September, not to follow Koizumi's path.
The Japan War-Bereaved Peaceful Association National Communication Committee
said in a statement that it strongly protests against the shrine visit and says
NO to the visits to the Yasukuni Shrine. The group is scheduled to hold
demonstrations against the shrine visit later Tuesday.
According to a recent opinion poll conducted by Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun
newspaper, 49 percent of the respondents are opposed to Koizumi's shrine visit,
compared with 43 percent in favor.
