Tokyo: Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sent an offering to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine on Saturday, marking the anniversary of Japan's 1945 surrender in World War II, but chose not to visit the shrine herself.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Takaichi, who had previously visited the shrine annually on August 15 before assuming office, refrained from making an in-person visit as prime minister. This decision is believed to be influenced by potential strong protests from neighboring countries South Korea and China, who view such visits as provocative.
Instead of a personal visit, Takaichi sent an offering in her role as president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). However, other prominent Japanese officials, including Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs Hitoshi Kikawada, did pay their respects at the shrine. A group of LDP leaders also visited the site.
Yasukuni Shrine honors Japan's war dead, including 14 Class A war criminals, and has long been a source of tension in the region. Visits by Japanese leaders are often interpreted as attempts to gloss over Japan's militaristic history.
In a related speech mourning the war dead, Takaichi notably did not express "remorse," diverging from her predecessor Shigeru Ishiba's approach, which included a commitment to renounce war and acknowledge Japan's past actions. Takaichi focused her speech on the theme that "the horrors of war must never be repeated" and emphasized Japan's commitment to peace and prosperity on the global stage.