Japan ministers visit controversial war shrine on World War Two anniversary

15/8/2024 13:19

        Japan marked the anniversary on Thursday of its defeat in World War Two with visits by at least three cabinet ministers to the controversial Yasukuni shrine that other Asian nations see as a symbol of the country's wartime aggression.
        
        Defence Minister Minoru Kihara, Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi, and Yasutaka Shindo, the economic revitalisation chief, visited the site in Tokyo, the capital.
        
        Fourteen prominent convicted war criminals, including wartime prime minister Hideki Tojo, are among the 2.5 million war dead honoured at the shrine.
        
        Kihara said at the shrine, in comments aired on television, "I would like to express my heartfelt condolences today to all those who sacrificed their precious lives and pay my deepest respect."
        
        The visits are the first by senior government officials since Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol agreed with U.S. President Joe Biden to pursue deeper security ties.