Japanese prime minister visits Yasukuni war shrine
Source: AP-Excite
By KEN MORITSUGU
TOKYO (AP) - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe paid his respects Thursday at a shrine honoring Japan's war dead in a move that drew a quick rebuke from China warning that the visit celebrated Japan's military attacks on its neighboring countries.
The visit to the shrine, which honors 2.5 million war dead including convicted class A war criminals, appears to be a departure from Abe's "pragmatic" approach to foreign policy, in which he tried to avoid alienating neighboring countries.
It was the first visit by a sitting prime minister since Junichiro Koizumi went to mark the end of World War II in 2006.
Visits to Yasukuni by Japanese politicians have long been a point of friction with China and South Korea, because of Japan's brutal aggression during World War II.
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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, second from right, follows a Shinto priest to pay respect for the war dead at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo Thursday, Dec. 26, 2013. Abe visited Yasukuni war shrine in a move sure to infuriate China and South Korea. The visit to the shrine, which honors 2.5 million war dead including convicted class A war criminals, appears to be a departure from Abes pragmatic approach to foreign policy, in which he tried to avoid alienating neighboring countries. It was the first visit by a sitting prime minister since Junichiro Koizumi went to mark the end of World War II in 2006. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)
Nanjing to Seoul
(2,088 posts)davidpdx
(22,000 posts)The three countries tend to do all they can to antagonize one another over different issues. They could move those who were found guilty of war crimes out of the shrine.
Nanjing to Seoul
(2,088 posts)Remember, they deny the Rape of Nanking even to this day.