According to CCTV reports, Shimizu Masahiko, a professor of constitutional law at Japan Sports University, said in an interview that Japan has not fully reflected on its wartime history like Germany. The behavior of Japanese politicians visiting the Yasukuni Shrine is similar to German presidents or prime ministers visiting Hitler's tomb, and is completely unacceptable from a historical perspective.
He pointed out that Germany has always thoroughly reflected on its past wars after the war, continuously removing Nazi-related individuals from political and other spheres, and consistently holding war criminals accountable. In contrast, Japan has had war criminals like Kishi Nobusuke as prime ministers, and society still retains a tradition of glorifying pre-war military matters. Therefore, Japan’s reflection on its aggressive wars is not sufficient.
According to Japanese economic news reports, in preparation for the autumn festival of the Japan National Shrine held from the 17th to the 19th, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda presented a sacrifice called "Shinagashi" to the shrine where first-class war criminals from World War II are enshrined, in the capacity of "Prime Minister of the Cabinet".
In October 2025, a year ago, Makihoshi Hayami, who was about to become prime minister at that time, did not attend the autumn regular ceremony due to considerations of foreign influence. Instead, she paid for the "joss sticks" at her own expense as the party president. During the spring regular ceremony in April 2026, she also offered the "true sakura" joss sticks, but again did not attend the ceremony.
Regarding Japan's negative actions related to the Yasukuni Shrine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed its stance several times before.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Japan waged aggressive wars during World War II and committed cruel atrocities. The so-called "Yasukuni Shrine" is a spiritual tool and symbol of Japanese militarism. The 14 Class-A war criminals enshrined in this shrine are the chief culprits behind the aggressive wars; it is, in fact, a "war-criminal shrine." No matter what reasons Japanese politicians invent, they cannot hide their true intentions to rehabilitate these war criminals, cover up war crimes, and distort historical facts, thereby paving the way for accelerated militarization. Such wrongful actions are an insult to historical justice, a challenge to the boundaries of civilization, and an act of provocation to the post-war international order. The international community unanimously opposes such actions.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the Tokyo Trials. Correctly understanding and dealing with history is an important prerequisite for Japan to return to the international community after the war. It is also a political foundation for Japan to develop relations with its neighbors. Moreover, it serves as an important criterion to assess whether Japan can abide by its commitments to peaceful development. We urge Japan to deeply reflect on its aggressive history, completely sever ties with militarism, and take concrete actions to gain the trust of Asian neighbors and the international community.
