TOKYO, Aug. 16 — “The war launched by Japan brought immense suffering to the peoples of Asia and many other countries. I believe Aug. 15 is a day when we must deeply reflect on what Japan did and ask ourselves what we, as Japanese, can do to ensure such events never happen again.”
Standing among demonstrators at Tokyo’s Awaji Park, Miyazaki, a protester from Osaka, made these remarks to Xinhua on Saturday while attending a rally opposing the notorious Yasukuni Shrine, a symbol of Japan’s militarism and wartime aggression.
For much of the world, Aug. 15 marks the anniversary of Japan’s unconditional surrender in World War II. However, in Japan, the date usually is known as the “memorial day for the end of the war.”
“The fact is that Japan was defeated, yet it labeled that defeat the ‘end of the war,'” Miyazaki said. “Japan launched a reckless war doomed to yield nothing, ultimately leading to disastrous consequences.
Calling it the ‘end of the war’ serves to mask this reality,” Miyazaki added. His words echoed a broader concern voiced by many participants at the rally: that historical reflection is being neglected while symbols associated with Japan’s wartime militarism continue to receive official endorsement.
On Saturday, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made a monetary offering to the Yasukuni Shrine in her capacity as president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
Before attending her first war memorial ceremony since taking office last year, she also performed a remote act of worship toward the shrine from nearby. Meanwhile, several cabinet ministers and senior politicians, including Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, LDP Secretary-General Shunichi Suzuki, visited the shrine in person.
By Saturday afternoon, a large number of Japanese citizens gathered at Awaji Park to oppose the Yasukuni Shrine, subsequently staging a protest march.
Holding signs reading “Dismantle Yasukuni Shrine,” “No to Militarism,” “No War State,” and “Takaichi Must Resign,” the protesters denounced the shrine for reviving the spirit of Japanese militarism.
Miyazaki said Yasukuni Shrine glorifies Japan’s wars of aggression by enshrining and honoring soldiers who died fighting in those campaigns, adding that Japanese politicians should absolutely not visit the shrine or offer ritual donations.
Another protester said it was utterly absurd to portray those wartime deaths as “noble sacrifices,” noting, “This day (Aug. 15) is a day when Japanese people must engage in deep reflection.”
Beyond the shrine itself, many demonstrators expressed alarm over Japan’s accelerating military expansion. Since taking office in October last year, Takaichi’s government has pushed ahead with policies toward remilitarization: restructuring the Self-Defense Forces for greater offensive capability, deploying long-range missiles with so-called “enemy base strike capabilities,” lifting restrictions on exports of lethal weapons, conducting overseas tests of offensive missiles, and accelerating the development of hypersonic weapons.
Critics argue that these measures represent a significant departure from Japan’s long-held principle of “exclusively defense-oriented policy.” Nomura, another participant in the demonstration, said that “Japan is tilting toward war and nationalism — a trend that absolutely must not be allowed.”
