Second Japanese minister visits controversial war shrine
Keiji Furuya, who is minister in charge of issues related to North Korea’s abduction of Japanese nationals, visited the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo early in the morning on the final day of an autumn festival, an aide said.
A second Japanese cabinet minister visited a controversial war shrine on Sunday but said he had no intention of provoking neighbouring countries, which see it as a painful reminder of Japan’s imperialist past.
Keiji Furuya, who is minister in charge of issues related to North Korea’s abduction of Japanese nationals, visited the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo early in the morning on the final day of an autumn festival, an aide said.
About 160 members of parliament -- approximately 20 per cent of the nation’s lawmakers -- paid tribute at the shrine on Friday, including Yoshitaka Shindo, the minister overseeing internal affairs and communications, whose visit drew a rebuke from China.
Yasukuni, which honours about 2.5 million war dead, is a flashpoint in relations between Japan and its Asian neighbours -- particularly China and South Korea -- with disagreements about history badly colouring relations.
The shrine is controversial because of the inclusion of 14 convicted top war criminals from the World War II era.
“It is a duty for parliamentarians... to extend his or her heartfelt condolences to those who devoted their life to their own country and to solemnly renew the vows for eternal peace,” Furuya said in a statement issued after his brief visit in rainy weather.
He said it was natural for a Japanese citizen to visit the shrine, adding he had previously made pilgrimages to mark spring and autumn festivals as well as the anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II, which falls on August 15.