Japan PM Ishiba sends offering to war-linked Yasukuni shrine

  Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba sent a ritual offering to the war-linked Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo on Thursday, the first day of its autumn festival, instead of visiting the site that has long been a source of diplomatic friction with Japan's neighbors. Ishiba, who became prime minister on Oct. 1, sent a "masakaki" offering to the Shinto shrine, seen as a symbol of Japan's wartime militarism by China and South Korea, following the custom set by his recent predecessors. During the three-day festival through Saturday, Ishiba is expected to refrain from paying a visit in person, a source close to him has said, apparently to avoid hurting ties with Japan's neighbors. Japan's ties with South Korea, in particular, have been improving markedly and Ishiba has expressed hope to maintain the momentum. Photo taken at the war-linked Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo on Oct. 17, 2024, shows the "masakaki" ritual offering sent by Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on the occasion of the shrine's three-day autumn festival. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo Regarding Ishiba's offering, however, South Korea expressed "deep disappointment and regret," with a Foreign Ministry spokesperson saying Yasukuni "glorifies Japan's past aggression and enshrines war criminals." "We urge the responsible leaders of Japan's new Cabinet to squarely face history and show they have humbly reflected and genuinely repented for the past through their actions," the spokesperson said in a statement, adding that this is the foundation for relations of trust that look toward the future. Asked about Ishiba's offering at a press conference in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning called the Shinto shrine "a spiritual tool and symbol of the war of aggression" caused by Japan's past militarism. She urged Tokyo to "face up to and reflect on its history" and "completely cut ties with militarism, adhere to the path of peaceful development and win the trust of its Asian neighbors as well as the international community with practical actions." Japan's Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kazuhiko Aoki told a press conference that the government had no comment, as Ishiba made the offering in his "private capacity." "It is up to the prime minister to decide whether to visit the shrine or not," he said. Yasukuni honors the souls of Japan's more than 2.4 million war dead, but the country's wartime leaders, convicted as war criminals by a post-World War II international tribunal, are also enshrined there. Former economic security minister Sanae Takaichi, who lost her bid to become Japan's prime minister last month, visited the shrine on Thursday and made a monetary offering, stating it was with her own money. She is known to be among the most conservative members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, sharing the hawkish views of the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Former Japanese economic security minister Sanae Takaichi is seen after visiting Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo on Oct. 17, 2024. (Kyodo) While conservative supporters of the LDP want the country's prime ministers to visit the shrine, Ishiba, unlike Abe or Takaichi, has taken a cautious stance. Before taking office, he said the priority should be to realize a visit by the emperor, without elaborating. Japan's relations with its neighbors have been fraught with difficulties stemming from their wartime past. Japan invaded a vast swathe of China before the end of World War II and ruled the Korean Peninsula from 1910 and 1945. Visits to the shrine by Japanese leaders and Cabinet ministers have drawn a sharp rebuke from China and South Korea. The last visit by the country's prime minister was by Abe in 2013. It is customary for a cross-party group of lawmakers to visit the shrine during its festivals and on the anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II. But they decided to postpone their visit this time as the country is in the midst of a campaign for the Oct. 27 general election. Lawmakers return to their constituencies for campaigning. Related coverage: Japan's new PM not to visit war-linked Yasukuni for fall rite