Japanese government honours war criminals

Posted on by

This video from Japan says about itself:

Aug 15, 2013

On August 15, 1945 Japan officially surrender thus ending WWII. The controversial Yasukuni Shrine which houses all war dead from 1867 to WWII including war criminals attracts a fair bit of attention on this day. Prime Minister Abe chose to visit the shrine by proxy.

Every year there is a peace protest which actually skirts south of the shrine heavily guarded by police and dogged by rightwingers. There are some scuffles with the police but nothing too serious.

From daily The Morning Star in Britain:

China and S Korea protest at visit to Yasukuni shrine

Thursday 15 August 2013

Japan marked the 68th anniversary of its surrender in World War II today with sombre ceremonies.

But senior politicians raised eyebrows abroad by visiting the controversial Yasukuni shrine to 2.5 million war dead.

China summoned the Japanese ambassador to protest at Japanese cabinet ministers’ homages to the controversial site in Tokyo.

Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin lodged “solemn representations” with ambassador Masato Kitera.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, whose hawkish views have raised concern in China and South Korea, did not visit the shrine but asked an aide to present an offering on his behalf.

But two of his ministers, decked out in morning suits, paid their respects in person.

The Shinto shrine honours 2.5 million Japanese war dead, including war criminals such as Hideki Tojo, the wartime prime minister who was executed in 1948.

The grounds also house a war museum glorifying Japan’s militarist past.

Visits by past prime ministers have angered Beijing and Seoul.

North and South Korea marked the surrender anniversary with ceremonies of their own, celebrating their independence from Japanese colonisation.

South Korean President Park Geun-hye urged Japanese politicians to “show brave leadership in healing wounds of the past.”

And Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei called on Japan to “honour their commitment to admit and reflect upon their history of invasion.”

In Seoul, women who had been forced to work in wartime brothels and their supporters rallied outside the Japanese embassy, demanding apologies and compensation.

Related articles