The principle of separation of church and state stipulated in the Japanese Constitution is once again being reminded of the Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's bow to Yasukuni Shrine from afar on the 15th of last month, Korea's Liberation Day and the day of Japan's defeat.
Just before attending the 'National War Memorial Ceremony' held at the Tokyo Budokan on the 15th of last month, Prime Minister Takaichi bowed twice towards Yasukuni Shrine, 500 meters away, clapped twice, and bowed once.
Tetsuya Takahashi, professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo, pointed out in an interview with the Asahi Shimbun published on the 6th that Prime Minister Takaichi's Yobae is a 'political performance' chosen between the fulfillment of his previous statement that he would visit Yasukuni Shrine if he becomes prime minister and the backlash from Korea and China.
Professor Takahashi is a representative Japanese scholar who has studied pacifism, and has been active as a left-wing commentator in the debate over historical revisionism and postwar responsibility in Japan.
He explained that in the past, when a 'temporary grand ceremony' was held to enshrine fallen soldiers from the Pacific War, etc. at the Yasukuni Shrine, the ceremony that was conducted by the military in time for the Emperor's visit was a bowing ceremony in which people bowed to the shrine from afar.
Professor Takahashi said, “The temporary grand ceremony where the Emperor personally pays his respects is an event that enhances the fighting spirit of the Japanese military and creates a sense of national unity, and bowing was a part of that,” adding that when the bowing ceremony was held, residents of colonies such as the Korean Peninsula and Taiwan were also required to pray in silence.
Regarding Prime Minister Takaichi's virtual 'remote visit' to the Yasukuni Shrine through the form of a bow on the day of defeat in the war, he criticized, "Apart from diplomatic issues, it is also a question of how to face Japan's war history in accordance with the constitutional principle of separation of church and state."
It is pointed out that even if Prime Minister Takaichi, who has regularly visited Yasukuni Shrine since his days as a prominent politician and expressed his intention to visit when he took office as Prime Minister, chose to worship as a 'detour' due to concerns about diplomatic friction and domestic backlash, there is a possibility that it may violate the Japanese Constitution, which clearly stipulates the separation of church and state.
The Asahi Shimbun also pointed out that this is the first time that the expression "yobae" has appeared in sympathy with the prime minister since 1984, when records remain in its database.
Asahi reported that as the form of worship has become unfamiliar in modern society, even officials at the Prime Minister's Office have asked, 'What on earth is worship?'
It is known that only a small number of people around him were aware of Prime Minister Takaichi's plan to visit the Yasukuni Shrine in advance.
As the strained Sino-Japanese relationship showed no signs of easing after Prime Minister Takaichi made a statement suggesting 'Taiwan's intervention in case of emergency' in November of last year, immediately after taking office, there were voices even among conservative Japanese cabinet members to stop the defeated Prime Minister from visiting the Yasukuni Shrine.
On the other hand, the right-wing group Issuikai (一水會) Youth Bureau expressed its dissatisfaction with Prime Minister Takaichi's visit to Yasukuni Shrine on the 26th of last month by sending a letter of protest, saying, "It is an awkward response that is trying to be vague."
