Asia-Wide Campaign against U.S.-Japanese domination and aggression of Asia
AWC-Japan
[Statement]
Denounce the visit to the Yasukuni shrine by Japanese Cabinet members and 168 lawmakers!
AWC-Japan
April 30, 2013
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Just before and after the annual spring festival of the Yasukuni shrine on April 21, cabinet members under Abe administration visit to the shrine in succession. The total of 4 cabinet members, Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Yoshitaka Shindo on April 20; Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso and Minister in charge of the Abduction Issue Keiji Furuya on April 21; and Minister in charge of Administrative Reform Tomomi Inada on April 28, visited to this war-related shrine. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also offered a 'Masakaki' tree branch (traditionally used in Shinto religious rituals) on April 21. In addition, 168 Japanese Diet members who belong to the 'Lawmaker's Association for collective visit to the Yasukuni shrine' worshipped at the shrine on April 23. This marked the largest number of the collective visiting to the shrine 132 lawmakers are from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, 25 from the Japan Restoration party and 5 from the Democratic party of Japan.
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Facing with the protest by South Korean and Chinese governments, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his ministers expose their real intention. Abe justified his cabinet member's visit to the Yasukuni shrine, and said 'It is a matter of course to secure the freedom to express one's respect and worship to precious souls of the war dead. My ministers will not yield to any kind of intimidation.' He regarded the protest by the government of South Korea and China as intervention in domestic affair, and blamed it arrogantly.
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The Yasukuni shrine had been a spiritual backbone of Japanese Emperor's army that had carried out invasive war in Asia. It honors dead Japanese soldiers whose loyalty were to the Emperor as 'spirits of the war dead'. Even after 1945, the year of Japan's defeat on invasive war in Asia, it was dedicated to the class B /C war criminals, and then the class-A war criminals. Until now, managers of the Yasukuni shrine has denied the judgment in the Tokyo Trials or International Military Tribunal for the Far East, and justified the invasive war in Asia that Japanese imperialism had carried out.
Prime Minister Abe also justifies the past Japan's invasive war in Asia and honors the dead for Emperor and the state in his real intention. Abe and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party intend to amend the article 9 of the Japanese Constitution (the Peace provision) and build the National Defense Forces (instead of present Self Defense Forces). They are also demanding allowance of Japan's using of the right of collective self-defence, and promoting to change the Self Defense Forces of Japan into the armed forces that can engage actual combat in the world under US-Japanese military alliance. In addition, they say that Japan must possess the 'capability to attack enemy bases' in discussion on the new National Defense Program Guideline. Abe administration never reflect Japan's past invasive war in Asia, and move to establish Japan as a War State. The Japan Restoration Party led by rightwing Ishihara and Hashimoto also play a role of powerful supporter of the Abe administration on this issue.
The visit to the Yasukuni shrine is a part of Japanese militarization and a maneuver for justifying Japan's past invasive war in Asia and glorifying the war dead for the Japanese emperor and the state.
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We vehemently denounce Prime Minister Abe's offering a 'Masakaki' tree branch, his cabinet members' visit and collective visit of lawmakers to the Yasukuni shrine in this time. We also oppose and fight against possible Prime Minister Abe and his cabinet members' official visit and collective visit of lawmakers who are belong to the Liberal Democratic party, the Japan Restoration Party and others to the shrine on coming August 15, the memorial day of Japanese imperialist's defeat on its invasive war in Asia.