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Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo. Photo by, Wiiii – Own work-

Yasukuni shrine (Yasukuni jinja) is a Shinto shrine in the central part of Tokyo close to the imperial palace complex. It is used to commemorate the Japanese who died during the war.

The shrine was founded in the year 1869 and its main purpose was to enshrine the people who had died for their country during the war.  The shrine was established by the first emperor of modern Japan Emperor Meiji.

This shrine follows Japanese traditions of honoring the dead and during these ceremonies of appreciation every name enshrined is treated equally and they worship them as divinities.

The shrine sits on six hectares of land and is surrounded by statues and commemoration of other victims who died such as animals, kamikaze pilots, and war widows. It stands near the Yushukan museum.

The Yasukuni shrine is said to be 145 years old and its name means Peaceful Country.

  1. The  Yasukuni Shinto

The composition of a Shinto shrine. Photo by, wikiwikiyarou-

This is a traditional religion where humans are transformed into kami or deities after their death and as such, they are worshiped by their descendants. The shrine is surrounded by war banners and military regalia and this makes it have plenty of visitors each year.

 2. The controversial symbols

Yasukuni shrine consists of so many symbols of japans past militarism. The inclusion of 14 convicted Class-A war criminals and due to this the shrine resulted in controversy, particularly after the visit Japanese prime minister.

As a result of enshrinement, the individuals found to be war criminals by the international military tribunal for the far east have made the museum to be considered to be a nationalist by China  South Korea, and North Korea.

  3. The  famous Yasukuni Shrine

Two women praying in front of a shrine. Photo by, Japanexperterna-

Yasukuni Shrine’s name means ‘peaceful country. The shrine is located in the central part of Tokyo that is  Chiyoda. Just like any other shrine this shrine is also open to the public. 

The shrine was built in 1869 by Meiji who was the emperor to honor the people who died during the war. It consists of the names of the military personnel killed while serving the country.

4. Yasukuni honden(main hall)

Yasukuni Shrine’s honden. Photo by, Joe Jones-

It is a memorial building that is used to commemorate anyone who died during the war on behalf of Japan.  It includes Koreans and also Taiwanese who served Japan at that time. This building was built to inter the souls of the people who died during the war regardless of their nationality.

5. Presence of cherry trees blossoms

cherry blossom appearance. Photo by, Shuyu1234567-

Cherry trees are around the shrine ground and this gives it a fascinating view. It also includes the Tokyo cherry tree which is used by the meteorological agency to announce the official opening of the blossoms in the city.

6. Yasukuni bitter memories

The place is known for bitter memories for the Chinese and Koreans who resent this honor since it is accorded to the war of criminals.

From 1910-1945, Koreans chafed over the Japanese rule while the Chinese have bitter memories of japans invasion and brutal occupation of some parts of their country in the year 1931-1945.

Japan fought to liberate Asians from the imperialism of the westerners and therefore it ignored the atrocities by its troops this made the museum on the ground criticized.

It is said that even the names of the Taiwan and Koreans who died during the war while serving the imperial forces are also recorded even though their relatives want them removed.

7. Yasukuni is avoided by the emperors

Emperor Hirohito visited the place eight-time between the end of the conflict and 1975.  According to history, it is said that he stopped due to displeasure over the enshrined convicted wartime leaders.

Well, his son  Akihito who became the emperor in the year 1989 and was later on abducted in 2019 has never visited nor has the current  Emperor Naruhito.

8. Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery way

It was proposed the Chidorigafuchi  National Cemetery be expanded. This was another way that was dedicated to the unidentified war dead into an alternative memorial site.

In 2002, a state-run panel was formed as the secular facility for the war dead; this did not create any attraction. It has been suggested that the class -War criminals should be dropped from the list of the people who are honored but the shrine officials say that it is impossible to drop them.

9. Yasukuni dying for the emperor’s shrine

This was established in 1869 in a leafy urban enclave where the shrine was dedicated to 2.5 million Japanese who died had died during the wars in the 19^th century and this also included world war two.

  Yasukuni was funded by the government of Japan until 1945.  Its name comes from a combination of two names that is ‘peace’ and ‘country’ which was the central state religion of Shitonism which was mobilized by the wartime population to fight in the name of the divine emperor.

10. The controversy surrounding Prime Minister’s visits to the Shrine

Eerie ni kotaeru Kai (Society for Honoring the Glorious War Dead) members (August 15, 2001). Photo by, Odoru Haniwa-

There are so many Japanese Government officials who visited Yasukuni after the war but they refused to say that it was an official capacity.

In 1985 Yasuhiro Nakasone made an official visit and this was the 40^th anniversary since the war had ended. This drew harsh criticism from the China people and because of this, he did not visit the Shrine again.

Many other Premiers visited the place and this brought strained ties between them and the countries which were involved.

From 2001-2006  Junichiro Koizumi paid a visit which caused him a lot of trouble with China. In December 2013 Shinzo Abe also visited the place where he claimed to have gone to pray for the souls of the war dead and to renew the pledge that Japan was never to wage war again.

This caused outrage in Seoul and Beijing and they were disappointed by his visit. This made him never visit the place again instead, he sent ritual offerings.

Yasukuni shrine is a sacred temple that was established by the first emperor Meiji in the year 1869 to honor those who fought during Second World War and lost their lives in the process.