At 2 pm on January 14, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi
again visited Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, which contains memorial
tablets to 14 class-A war criminals of World War II including then
Prime Minister Tojo Hideki. It seems Koizumi completely forgot the
angry protests from the governments and peoples of other Asian
countries triggered by his shrine visits in the past two years.
According to the Japanese NHK broadcasting network, Koizumi
appeared at the shrine looking solemn and spent about a minute
paying respect. This time, however, there was no traditional Shinto
purification ritual at the altar; rather, Koizumi presented flowers
in his own expense and left without making a formal speech.
But, before leaving for the shrine, Koizumi had expressed his
feelings by telling Japanese reporters: "It is New Year, and I will
go in order to meditate on peace with a clear mind and that (Japan)
will never again cause a war," according to the Jiji news agency.
When asked if he would pay homage in the name of Japanese Prime
Minister, Koizumi answered: "I will pay respect just as Junichiro
Koizumi." To another question regarding whether his visit would
harm the relations with China and South Korea, he hoped there would
be no change in both Sino-Japanese and Japan-South Korea relations,
and he wanted "be understood by our neighbors".
This is the third time that Koizumi visited Yasukuni Shrine since
taking office in April 2001. He visited the shrine on August 13,
2001 and April 21, 2002.
Koizumi made a campaign promise to right-wing organizations such as
Izoku in April 2001, when he fought to lead the Liberal Democratic
Party, that "I will choose August 15 (the day World War II ended)
to visit the shrine if elected." Actually, his first visit came two
days before August 15. In October that year, he flew to China for
fence-mending and paid respect at the Memorial Hall of the War of
Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. However, the following
year, Koizumi went to the shrine again, although he changed the
time to "the spring sacrifices" on April 21, 2002. In December
2002, he declared that he planned to visit the shrine again "when
appropriate" despite the protests his actions provoked.
The Japanese media suggested three reasons why Koizumi this time
chose to visit the shrine before the opening of Japanese Parliament
on January 20. Firstly, he wanted to finish his shrine visit before
China's annual sessions of the National People's Congress and the
Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in March and the
event of a new South Korean president taking office in a bid to
reduce the impact on the ties with these two countries. Secondly,
January 14 is just an ordinary day in Koizumi's mind with no
relationship to the anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War
II, or the Spring and Autumn Sacrifices. Thirdly, Koizumi was
concerned about his coming visit to South Korea in February and his
possible visit to China within this year, which would leave him
with no appropriate time to visit the shrine.
It
is almost certain that Koizumi intended to do it; it was neither a
mistake nor a political show. As a matter of fact, in order to
soften the Asian countries' anger sparked by the shrine visits of
Japanese leaders, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minister of
State Yasuo Fukuda had studied ways of mourning its war-dead and
suggested Japan build a new place to honor the war-dead. But
Koizumi said surprisingly that new place is a new place, while the
shrine is the shrine, indicating he would visit the shrine
again.
In
defiance of strong opposition from Japan's neighbors following his
previous visits, Koizumi is playing a trick by expressing his
sincere wish to examine the past on the one hand, and insisting on
continuing his shrine visits on the other. Such controversial
behavior forces Asian peoples to question his real intention.
Again, Koizumi's shrine visit greatly hurt the feelings of Chinese
people; at the same time, it harmed the Japanese people in
examining the past aggressive war, and it hindered the steady
development of China-Japanese relations. In fact, it only satisfied
Japanese right wing forces that wholeheartedly want to revise
history.
It
is still fresh in the people's mind that some right-wing scholars
had made suggestions to Koizumi right after his shrine visit last
year saying he should continue to do so until Asian countries stop
opposing.
Today, with more Japanese people taking a right deviation, the
Japanese government does not seriously change its old way of
thinking on historical issues, but rather moves further and further
to the right. Therefore it is really worth people's deep thought
and high alert.
Muraoko Hisahira, head of the China-Japan Friendship Association,
expressed his deep concern over Koizumi's shrine visit, which would
add to the Chinese people's doubts and vigilance towards Japan. He
said that this year marks the 25th anniversary of the Sino-Japanese
Friendship Treaty, and should be a prime time to develop
Sino-Japanese relations. Koizumi's shrine visit would certainly
invite deepest regret and anger from Asian peoples, he noted.
(The author, Sun Zhengmin, is a People's Daily staff reporter in
Tokyo)
(China.org.cn, translated by Zheng Guihong January 16, 2003)