TOKYO – Japan’s likely new prime minister Sanae Takaichi may skip a visit to a shrine honoring the country’s war dead during an autumn festival to avoid angering Asian neighbors, media reports said.
Visits by Japanese officials to the Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo — which honors even convicted war criminals — tend to infuriate China and South Korea, which see the shrine as a symbol of Japan’s past militarism.
Takaichi, the new leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, has visited the shrine on many occasions, including when she was in ministerial posts.
However, she is now weighing up the impact of a potential visit on diplomatic ties with Beijing and Seoul, the Yomiuri Shimbun, the Asahi Shimbun and other media reported this week, citing unnamed party sources.
She is also mindful of possible criticism that ally the United States could level ahead of President Donald Trump’s expected visit to Tokyo later this month, the Yomiuri newspaper said.
A visit to the shrine in 2013 by then-prime minister Shinzo Abe, Takaichi’s mentor, prompted a furious reaction from China and South Korea while Washington said it was disappointed.
Every year, dozens of parliament members visit Yasukuni, which honors officials executed by a US-backed war crimes tribunal after World War II, in addition to common soldiers.
The autumn festival, which will be held from Oct. 17 to 19, is a popular time to go.
But Abe’s three successors including outgoing premier Shigeru Ishiba stayed away from the shrine during their terms at the top.
Tetsuo Saito, president of the LDP’s longstanding coalition partner Komeito, “expressed concerns over her (Takaichi’s) view on history, (including) visits to Yasukuni” when he held talks with her on Tuesday, the Asahi newspaper reported.
The LDP and Komeito are yet to reach an agreement — due to a political fund scandal — over the renewal of that coalition, resulting in the postponement of a parliament session to elect the new prime minister, Kyodo News reported.
It will likely take place the week of Oct. 20, Kyodo added.
Even though the LDP-Komeito coalition is a minority in both chambers of parliament, Takaichi is expected to be sworn in as prime minister due to a fragmented opposition that has failed to agree on a candidate.
