Politics · Singapore Bureau
Japan PM makes offering at controversial Yasukuni shrine
Prime Minister Yuko Takaichi has made a monetary donation and ritual offering to Yasukuni shrine, a move likely to draw criticism from regional neighbours over the site's association with Japan's wartime past.
LSN Singapore ·
Japan's prime minister presented a financial offering and sacred evergreen twigs to Yasukuni shrine on October 17, continuing a practice that has periodically strained diplomatic relations in East Asia.
The Masakaki ritual offering, composed of sacred branches, accompanied the monetary donation in what observers consider a significant gesture toward the Tokyo shrine. Yasukuni holds particular historical sensitivity, as it enshrines Class-A war criminals from World War II alongside other Japanese military personnel.
PMs' visits and offerings to the shrine have historically triggered protests from China and South Korea, which view such gestures as glorifying Japan's imperial military past. The shrine remains a flashpoint in regional relations, with previous prime ministerial visits or donations drawing formal diplomatic complaints.
Takaichi, who assumed office in October 2024, has positioned herself as a nationalist-leaning leader. Her decision to make an offering so soon after taking office signals her administration's stance on historical and nationalist issues.
Yasukuni shrine continues to be a barometer of Japan's approach to its wartime legacy, with each prime ministerial action scrutinised closely by neighbouring nations and international observers.