Prime Minister Kishida makes a sacrifice at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo

Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has performed a ritual sacrifice at Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine for the Spring Festival, sparking protests from neighboring countries. The shrine honors the Japanese war victims. Those remembered include leaders convicted of war crimes after World War II.

Kishida sent a potted plant with a wooden plaque bearing his name and official title on Sunday, the first day of the three-day festival. Sources say the Prime Minister will not visit the shrine during this period.

Since taking office in 2021, Kishida has made offerings for the shrine’s spring and autumn festivals, following the precedent set by his predecessors Abe Shinzo and Suga Yoshihide. Economic Revitalization Minister Shindo Yoshitaka visited Sunday to pray.

A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Tokyo issued a statement later in the day saying such offers and visits hurt the feelings of people in countries that suffered from Japan’s actions during World War II.

It also called on Japan to confront and reflect on its history of aggression and make a clear distinction from militarism.

The South Korean Foreign Ministry issued a statement expressing the government’s “deep disappointment and regret.” The shrine said the shrine “glorifies Japan’s past wars of aggression and enshrines war criminals.”

And it urged Japanese leaders to critically examine their country’s history and demonstrate “humble reflection and sincere remorse for the past” as a basis for forward-looking relations between South Korea and Japan.