Japan Lawmaker Group Visits War-Linked Yasukuni Shrine

October 18, 2018

Seventy-one members of a suprapartisan lawmaker group led by Hidehisa Otsuji, former vice president of the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of parliament, visited Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on Thursday morning.

Among the participants were government officials including Yoshihiko Isozaki, state minister of economy, trade and industry, and Hiroshi Yamada, parliamentary vice minister of defense, as well as members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and opposition Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party).

"Things have been tumultuous these days both at home and overseas," Otsuji told reporters. "Since we are at a time like this, we visited the shrine together."

Separately, Ichiro Tsukada, state minister of land, infrastructure, transport and tourism, visited the shrine in the afternoon.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made a "masakaki" ritual offering at the war-related Shinto shrine Wednesday, when its four-day autumn festival opened.

In a statement Thursday, the South Korean Foreign Ministry expressed "deep concern and disappointment" over the shrine visit and Abe's offering.

The ministry said these politicians should help advance the two countries' relations in a future-oriented manner "by demonstrating through action their humble reflection and sincere remorse for Japan's past wrongdoings based on a correct understanding of history." Jiji Press