Yasukuni Shrine Autumn Festival debuts, Sanae presents offerings, cabinet members visit the shrine, South Korea expresses regret

Japan's Yasukuni Shrine will hold a three-day regular autumn festival starting from the 17th. In conjunction with the festival, Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae presented a bonsai sakaki tree as an offering in the name of "Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae."

Before Takaichi Sanae took office as president of the Liberal Democratic Party last fall, she would personally visit the Yasukuni Shrine every year during the Spring and Autumn Redai Festival and the anniversary of the end of the war on August 15, but she did not go to the Redai Festival last fall or this spring. On the day of the end of the war this year, although she did not enter the shrine, she worshiped in the direction of the Yasukuni Shrine at the Nippon Budokan grounds hundreds of meters away. Last autumn, this spring, and this year's war festival, she paid the sacrificial fees with her own money. In addition, Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare Kenichiro Ueno and Minister in charge of Growth Strategy Minoru Shirouchi also presented offerings.

Jonuchi arrived at the Yasukuni Shrine before 11:30 a.m. on the 17th and entered the main shrine to pay homage.會後他向媒體表示，向為國家犧牲的英靈致上哀悼與崇敬之意，同時重申不再讓戰爭慘禍重演的和平決心，並說明供品與祭祀費皆由私費支出。 The city's ministers also paid homage during this year's Spring Festival and the anniversary of the end of the war.

In response, South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a comment, expressing its deep disappointment and regret that Japan's responsible leaders once again presented offerings and paid homage to the Yasukuni Shrine, which glorifies the history of aggression and commemorates Class-A war criminals. It also called on Japan to face up to history and show reflection with practical actions, emphasizing that this is the basis for establishing a future-oriented mutual trust relationship between South Korea and Japan.