Japanese Lawmakers Visit Yasukuni Shrine

A total of 80 lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition party, including 78 members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), visited the Yasukuni Shrine on the morning of April 22.

These lawmakers are members from the community who call themselves “the group of Japanese lawmakers who visit Yasukuni Shrine together,” and have visited the Yasukuni Shrine in spring and autumn on a yearly basis.

Currently, 266 lawmakers of both the ruling and opposition parties from both the Upper and Lower Houses belong to the group.

There were no cabinet ministers among the group, but three administrative officials (parliamentary vice-ministers), including the parliament secretary for the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry, and Japan’s defense agency vice director general, made the trip to Yasukuni Shrine.

From the LPD, 78 lawmakers, including Tamisuke Watanuki, a former speaker of the House of Representatives, Makoto Koga, a former secretary-general, and two Lower House lawmakers from the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), including Kazuhiro Haraguchi, visited the Yasukuni Shrine.

Hun-Joo Cho hanscho@donga.com