Takaichi's word on Yasukuni Shrine is "time bomb" for regional peace

Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae said in a post-election interview that she would "create an environment that allows visits to the Yasukuni Shrine." This is not only a blatant provocation against international justice but also a serious threat to regional peace and stability.

Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae

This move indicates that right-wing forces in Japan are attempting to resurrect the history of militarism. Behind this lies a deep-seated attempt at historical revisionism, which will directly poison the political and security atmosphere in East Asia.

Yasukuni Shrine is a spiritual tool and symbol of Japan's militaristic aggression in foreign wars, enshrining 14 Class-A war criminals who bear grave responsibility for the wars of aggression. Takaichi’s words proves the idea that "to forget history is to betray, and to deny responsibility is to repeat the crime."

Such speech act will severely hurt the feelings of the people in Asian neighboring countries, such as China and South Korea, who suffered from Japanese militarist aggression. It will undermine the foundation of mutual trust and lead to a serious regression in relations among regional countries.

Takaichi Sanae is a representative of Japan's right-wing forces. She has explicitly advocated abolishing the "renunciation of war" clause in the pacifist constitution and changing the Self-Defense Forces into a "National Defense Army." Visiting the Yasukuni Shrine is part of her ideological mobilization to break through the constraints of "exclusively defensive defense" and move toward becoming a "normal military power."

Takaichi’s word about "creating an environment" reflects the political arrogance of Japan’s far-right forces following their electoral victory. This signals that Japan’s stance on historical issues will become even more hardened, attempting to package the major matter of "worshiping the shrine" as a technical issue that can be "resolved" through political maneuvering.

This will not only exacerbate tensions between China and Japan, as well as South Korea and Japan, but also send a dangerous signal to the international community that "Japan is rejecting the path of peaceful development." It is a "time bomb" for regional peace.