Politics · Japan · 14 hrs ago
NHK program examines Yasukuni Shrine’s secret enshrinement of war criminals
An NHK program has examined the secret enshrinement of war criminals at Yasukuni Shrine in Japan.
The shrine, founded in 1869, commemorates people who died in wars involving Japan.
After Japan’s defeat in World War II, government agencies and the shrine remained involved in decisions about who would be enshrined, according to the program.
Fourteen convicted Class-A war criminals were secretly enshrined in 1978, and the decision became known publicly the following year.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi offered ritual items at the shrine during its autumn festival, while other senior politicians and lawmakers visited.
The shrine’s enshrinement of war criminals is controversial because critics say it can blur responsibility for Japan’s wartime actions and distort how the war is remembered.
The dispute continues to affect how Japan’s wartime history is viewed in Japan and abroad.
NHK aired a program examining the secret enshrinement of 14 Class-A war criminals at Yasukuni Shrine.
The shrine decided in 1970 to enshrine the Class-A war criminals, but did not set a date at the time.
The 14 were secretly enshrined in October 1978, and the act became known publicly in 1979.
The program drew attention to records describing how government agencies and the shrine handled the enshrinement.
China News Service’s article also reported that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sent offerings to the shrine during its autumn festival.
- Who
- NHK examined the issue in a program; Yasukuni Shrine enshrined the war criminals.
- What
- The program investigated the secret enshrinement of 14 Class-A war criminals.
- When
- The program aired recently; the exact broadcast date is not stated. The enshrinement took place in October 1978 and became known in 1979.
- Where
- Yasukuni Shrine, Japan.
- Why
- The program examined how the enshrinement was decided and kept secret.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
A document proposed a process for reviewing the enshrinement of war criminals, involving local governments, the Welfare Ministry and Yasukuni Shrine.
346 Class-B and Class-C war criminals were listed as subjects for enshrinement.
The Welfare Ministry sent Yasukuni Shrine a list of Class-A war criminals and asked it to consider their enshrinement.
Yasukuni Shrine settled on a policy of enshrining the Class-A war criminals but said it would consider the timing carefully.
Yasukuni Shrine secretly enshrined 14 Class-A war criminals.
The secret enshrinement became known publicly.
- Program
- NHK’s Yasukuni Shrine Secret Records: The Blank Postwar History
- Enshrinement
- 14 Class-A war criminals
- Date
- October 1978
- Public disclosure
- 1979
- Earlier enshrinement list
- 346 Class-B and Class-C war criminals in 1959
1 source
What people are saying
We decided to bring in Class-A war criminals such as Seishiro Itagaki and General Hideki Tojo. Tojo is to be enshrined as a prime minister. If the newspapers make a fuss, this will be difficult to carry out, so please keep it strictly confidential before it is made public.