Japanese PM sends offering to notorious war-linked Yasukuni Shrine amid protest

Protesters demanded that the Japanese government face up to and take responsibility for its wartime aggression, firmly opposing cabinet members and members of parliament visiting the notorious Yasukuni Shrine.

TOKYO, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Friday sent a ritual offering to the notorious Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, a symbol of the country's past brutal militarism, as Japan marked the 80th anniversary of its unconditional surrender in World War II.

Farm minister Shinjiro Koizumi visited the war-linked shrine located in central Tokyo.

Former economic security ministers Sanae Takaichi and Takayuki Kobayashi, as well as ruling Liberal Democratic Party heavyweight Koichi Hagiuda, also visited the shrine on Friday.

In the afternoon, people held banners reading "Oppose Yasukuni Shrine" and "Oppose War" and chanted slogans as they marched through the streets of Tokyo.

The protesters demanded that the Japanese government face up to and take responsibility for its wartime aggression, firmly opposing cabinet members and members of parliament visiting the shrine.

The spokesperson of the Chinese embassy in Japan said that the Yasukuni Shrine is a spiritual tool and a symbol of the Japanese militarists responsible for the war of aggression and honors 14 convicted Class-A war criminals.

The spokesperson said that the essence of the Yasukuni Shrine issue lies in whether the Japanese side can correctly understand and deeply reflect on its history of aggression, whether it can abide by the statements and commitments it has made on historical issues, and whether it can abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and adhere to the path of peaceful development, noting that it is a matter of principle that concerns aggression and anti-aggression, justice and evil, light and darkness.

China urges Japan to face squarely and reflect on its history of aggression, earnestly honor its words and commitment on issues such as the Yasukuni Shrine, make a clean break from militarism, adhere to the path of peaceful development, and earn the trust of its Asian neighbors and the international community through concrete actions, the spokesperson said.■