Offering sacrifices to Yasukuni Shrine four times a year. What is Takaichi doing?

On the 17th local time, Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae, in the name of "Prime Minister", offered sacrifices to the Yasukuni Shrine, which honors World War II Class-A war criminals.

This is the fourth time Gao Shi has offered sacrifices or sacrificial fees to the Yasukuni Shrine this year. Before taking office as president of the Liberal Democratic Party last year, Takaichi visited the Yasukuni Shrine every year.

In addition, Japanese Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare Kenichiro Ueno, Japanese Minister of Economic and Fiscal Policy Minoru Jonuchi, Japanese House of Representatives Speaker Mori Eisuke, and Senate Speaker Shoichi Sekiguchi also offered sacrifices to the Yasukuni Shrine that day.

It is said that Minoru Jonuchi also visited the Yasukuni Shrine on the morning of the 17th. For a long time, some Japanese politicians and members of Congress have insisted on visiting the Yasukuni Shrine, which has been strongly opposed by many peace-loving people in Japan and the international community.

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs previously stated that Japan’s series of negative moves involving the Yasukuni Shrine blatantly challenge international justice and brutally trample on human conscience. China is very indignant and severely condemns the above-mentioned evil acts.

Takao City continues to offer sacrifices to Yasukuni Shrine

Experts: Paving the way for “remilitarization”

What is the connection between Gao City’s series of actions involving the Yasukuni Shrine and Japan’s accelerated “remilitarization” and push to revise the “peace constitution”? What was her plan behind this move?

Meng Xiaoxu, a researcher at the Institute of Japanese Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: Gao City’s series of visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, as well as Japan’s accelerated “remilitarization” and push for constitutional amendments, are highly bound. Article 9 of Japan’s “Peace Constitution” is the core shackle that restrains Japan’s military expansion. If Japan wants to amend its constitution and develop its Self-Defense Forces' ability to attack enemy bases, it must first reshape its people's historical understanding. Takaichi's continued offering of sacrifices to the Yasukuni Shrine is dispelling the postwar anti-war consensus, weakening the legitimacy of the "peace constitution", and paving the way for "remilitarization." The plan behind this is to consolidate the right-wing base internally and promote the foundation of constitutional revision and defense budget expansion; externally, this relatively restrained form of sacrifice is used to avoid immediately triggering a diplomatic crisis. This is to test the bottom line of neighboring countries while steadily promoting military loosening and gradually breaking away from the post-war system.