Yasukuni Shrine Japan Defence Minister’s Visit Draws China and South Korea Rebukes

Yasukuni Shrine became a source of fresh diplomatic tension on Saturday after Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi visited the controversial site dedicated to the nation’s war dead.

Koizumi visited the shrine in Tokyo wearing a dark suit and tie, according to local media images. His visit came as Japan marked the 81st anniversary of its surrender in the Second World War.

Economic Security Minister Kimi Onoda also visited the shrine, public broadcaster NHK reported. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sent a ritual offering, according to Kyodo news agency.

China strongly criticised the visits and said it had lodged a formal protest with Japan. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson described the Japanese actions concerning the shrine as negative moves.

South Korea also expressed “deep regret” over the visits and offerings. Its Foreign Ministry described the actions as “anachronistic” and urged Japanese leaders to confront their country’s wartime history.

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Seoul also called on Japan’s leaders to show sincere remorse through their actions. The ministry said such reflection remains important for building trust and stronger future relations between the two countries.

China and South Korea regard Yasukuni Shrine as a symbol of Japan’s wartime aggression. They argue that visits by senior Japanese officials can minimise Tokyo’s wartime actions and strain diplomatic relations.

The shrine commemorates about 2.5 million Japanese war dead. Among them are 14 wartime leaders convicted of the most serious war crimes, along with more than 1,000 others convicted by Allied tribunals after Japan’s defeat in 1945.

Japanese officials have previously defended visits by saying they pay tribute to those who died in Japan’s wars in a personal capacity.

The last serving Japanese prime minister to visit Yasukuni was Shinzo Abe in December 2013. His visit prompted an expression of disappointment from the administration of then-US President Barack Obama.

Koizumi has visited Yasukuni in the past, including during his tenure as agriculture minister last year. The last serving Japanese prime minister to visit the shrine on the anniversary of Japan’s surrender was his father, Junichiro Koizumi, in 2006.