Yasukuni Shrine

Place of controversy: Japan’s Yasukuni Shrine

Read more about the Yasukuni Shrine controversy: https://sc.mp/oend

Yasukuni Shrine in the Japanese capital Tokyo has long been a place of controversy since it enshrines the nation’s 2.5 million war dead including 14 Class-A war criminals. Since 1975, several prime ministers and cabinet members have visited Yasukuni in an official capacity, sparking anger in China and South Korea, which both suffered under Japanese imperial rule in the early 20th century. Yasukuni has also generated controversy domestically. The shrine is the centre of Japan’s native Shinto faith, yet regarded by some as a symbol of militarism and a place where leader visits violate the principle of separation of religion and state.

October 17, 2023