Abe Skips Visit to Yasukuni Shrine on War Anniv.

August 16, 2018

Tokyo- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe skipped a visit to Yasukuni Shrine on Wednesday, the 73rd anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II.

He apparently gave consideration to China and South Korea, which regard the Tokyo shrine as a symbol of Japan's past militarism and strongly oppose visits by Japanese leaders.

For the second consecutive year, no minister of Abe's cabinet made a visit to the shrine, which honors Class-A war criminals along with the war dead.

Abe, however, made a "tamagushi" ritual offering at his own expense to the shrine as usual.

In his speech at an annual war memorial ceremony in Tokyo, Abe said: "We will never again repeat the devastation of war. Humbly facing history, we will remain committed to this resolute pledge, no matter what the era may bring."

But he stopped short of referring to the country's responsibility for causing severe damage to its Asian neighbors during the war for the sixth straight year.

Abe made the offering through Masahiko Shibayama, special adviser to Liberal Democratic Party President Abe. Shibayama visited the shrine on behalf of Abe.

"I am sorry for not making a visit this year," Abe said in a message delivered by Shibayama.

The prime minister last visited the shrine in December 2013, hurting his country's relations with China and South Korea.

The latest decision not to pay a visit apparently reflected Abe's emphasis on building cooperation with the two Asian neighbors over issues involving North Korea.

Internal affairs minister Seiko Noda visited the shine on the war anniversary until 2016, before she took office. But this year, she skipped a visit to the shrine for the second straight year.

"I made the decision after careful consideration of the current political situation," Noda said.

Meanwhile, about 50 members of a nonpartisan lawmaker group and some other politicians visited the shrine.

In a statement, the South Korean Foreign Ministry expressed its deep regrets over Abe's ritual offering and other politicians' shrine visits.

A statement by a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman took note of Abe's decision not to make a visit. But it still expressed discomfort over his offering and lawmakers' visits. Jiji Press