With December 26 approaching, debate is heating up in Tokyo over whether Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will visit Yasukuni Shrine, a site that honors 14 Class-A war criminals linked to World War II aggression.
Some analysts argue she may follow the hardline 'Abe path,' echoing former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s 2013 visit on this date, which sparked protests from residents of the Chinese mainland and South Korea. A similar move this Friday could inflame regional tensions.
Others believe Takaichi may skip the visit under diplomatic pressure. During her leadership campaign this year, she pledged to deepen Japan–South Korea ties and signaled willingness to engage in dialogue with leaders from the Chinese mainland.
Yasukuni Shrine remains a lightning rod for historical memory. Honoring figures such as Hideki Tojo, a central architect of Japan’s wartime expansion, any visit by a sitting leader is seen as undermining reconciliation efforts and Japan’s post-war international standing.
Critics say such a visit would amount to denying Japan’s defeat and attempting to rehabilitate militarism, posing risks to the post-war order and highlighting a resurgence of nationalist sentiment within Japan.
The debate over Takaichi’s possible shrine visit has once again cast a spotlight on how nations remember wartime history. For many across Asia, it is not just a domestic gesture but a test of historical responsibility and regional trust.
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Takaichi's possible Yasukuni visit revives wartime history concerns
cgtn.com
