Japan Prime Minister Abe is Not Attending Yasukuni Shrine Ahead of Summit with South Korea and China
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has made a ritual offering to Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on Saturday. However, it seems like he will not be attending the annual festival in order to avoid friction with surrounding countries.
There will be a first official trilateral summit scheduled on Nov 1 with South Korea and China. When any of former Japanese prime minister and governor visit Yasukuni Shrine, it has always been a cause of friction between Japan and neighborhood countries such as China and South Korea.
Yasukuni Shrine is a shrine located in Chiyoda area of Tokyo and founded in June 1869. There are over two million people worshiped by this shrine for being dead for Japan. It includes over a thousand of war criminal with 14 of those considered as A class World War II criminals.
Some Taiwanese and Koreans have also been worshiped by the shrine for serving for Japan.
It honors Japan's war dead, including some senior military and political figures convicted of serious crimes in the wake of the country's World War II defeat. Therefore, it has always been an issue when any cabinet member visits the shrine to worship those who has worked for Japan. This is because those ones who are worshiped are the ones gave huge damage to neighborhood countries.
On October 17, Abe donated a potted tree called "Masakaki" with his name as prime minister. However, it is expected that he has no plans to visit Yasukuni Shrine during this Autumn festival period. This is because of consideration for Japan's relationship with China and South Korea as there will be a summit of the three countries' leaders to take place in Seoul on 1st of November. The four-day autumn festival will take place till Tuesday the 20th.
The last time he visited the shrine was back in December of 2013 after his second Cabinet inauguration. Since then he has donated Masakaki for annual festivals held in Spring and Autumn.
Japanese politicians such as Sanae Takaichi visited the temple during the Autumn festival.
