Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi sends ritual offering to notorious Yasukuni Shrine

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made a monetary offering to the notorious Yasukuni Shrine, a symbol of Japanese militarism and wartime aggression, on Saturday, as the country marked the 81st anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II, according to Japanese media reports.

According to The Asahi Shimbun, Takaichi made a "tamagushi" ritual offering to the war-linked shrine through senior officials of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

Yasukuni Shrine, which honors 14 convicted Japanese Class-A war criminals from World War II, is a notorious symbol of Japanese militarism that devastated the Asia-Pacific decades ago.

According to NHK, senior executives of the conservative LDP — Secretary-General Shunichi Suzuki, Haruko Arimura, head of its General Council, and Yasutoshi Nishimura, head of its Election Strategy Committee — visited Yasukuni Shrine together.

The LDP said it was extremely rare for senior party officials, including the secretary-general, to visit Yasukuni Shrine together on Aug 15.

Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi also visited the shrine on Aug 15, becoming the first sitting defense minister to do so since then-Defense Minister Minoru Kihara did so in 2024. Kihara is now chief cabinet secretary in Takaichi's government.

Minister of State for Policies Related to Children Hitoshi Kikawada also visited the shrine.