Japan PM Takaichi Sends Ritual Offering to Yasukuni Shrine, Drawing Regret From South Korea

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sent a ritual "masakaki" tree offering to the Yasukuni Shrine on Saturday, marking the start of its three-day autumn festival. The gesture, made under her official title, immediately drew diplomatic condemnation from South Korea and China.[1][4]

The Shinto shrine in central Tokyo honors 2.46 million Japanese war dead, including 14 Class-A war criminals convicted by post-World War II international tribunals. For decades, it has stood as a flashpoint in East Asian diplomacy, viewed by neighboring nations as a symbol of Japan's past militarism and wartime aggression.[1][4]

Takaichi, a conservative leader who took office in October 2025, is expected to refrain from visiting the shrine in person during the festival. Sources close to the prime minister indicate she is attempting to balance her conservative domestic base with the need to manage strained relations with Beijing and improving ties with Seoul.[4][5]

Despite her physical absence, the official offering prompted a swift rebuke from the South Korean government. In a statement released Saturday, Seoul's foreign ministry expressed "deep disappointment and regret" over the move, urging Japanese leaders to demonstrate sincere remorse for the country's imperialistic past.[1][3]

Diplomatic Fallout and Regional Reactions

"We once again stress that such steps are an important foundation for building a future-oriented South Korea-Japan relationship based on trust between the two countries and their peoples," the South Korean foreign ministry stated. The diplomatic protest underscores the fragility of recent bilateral efforts to move past historical grievances.[1][2]

In China, the reaction was equally critical, with state-affiliated media and experts warning that the offering damages regional stability. Lü Chao, a professor at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, characterized the move as a "political performance aimed at courting far-right forces at home," arguing it exposes a distorted view of history.[5]

The Chinese response highlighted a perceived contradiction between Takaichi's recent diplomatic rhetoric and her actions. During a policy speech to Japan's parliament on October 5, Takaichi described China as an "important neighbor" and expressed a desire to build a stable bilateral relationship.[5]

"Takaichi's latest gesture also stands in stark contrast to her recent rhetoric about improving relations with China," the Global Times noted. Beijing has repeatedly condemned any official association with the shrine, which it views as an affront to historical justice and the postwar international order.[5]

Domestic Politics and Cabinet Participation

While Takaichi stayed away, other high-ranking Japanese officials made their presence known at the controversial site. Minoru Kiuchi, the minister in charge of economic and fiscal policy, visited the shrine in person on Saturday morning, becoming the first member of Takaichi's cabinet to do so during the current festival.[4][6]

Following his visit, Kiuchi told reporters that he had offered his heartfelt condolences to the spirits of those who gave their lives for the nation. He added that he had renewed his pledge to renounce war, though such explanations rarely mollify critics in neighboring countries.[4]

Several other prominent political figures also sent masakaki offerings, including Lower House Speaker Eisuke Mori and Senate President Masakazu Sekiguchi. Health Minister Kenichiro Ueno joined the list of officials sending ritual tributes, reflecting the deep-rooted tradition among conservative lawmakers.[4][6]

A cross-party group of Japanese lawmakers is scheduled to visit the shrine collectively on Monday, a routine occurrence during the biannual festivals. These mass visits consistently trigger formal diplomatic protests from Seoul and Beijing, perpetuating a cycle of historical friction.[4]

The Precedent of Prime Ministerial Visits

Takaichi's decision to send an offering rather than attend in person aligns with the cautious approach adopted by her recent predecessors. Former Prime Ministers Fumio Kishida and Yoshihide Suga also refrained from visiting Yasukuni Shrine during their tenures, opting instead to send public tributes.[3]

The last sitting Japanese prime minister to visit the shrine in person was Shinzo Abe in December 2013. That visit provoked intense international backlash, including a rare statement of disappointment from the United States, and established a precedent of prime ministerial restraint that has held for over a decade.[3][4]

Before assuming the premiership, Takaichi was a regular visitor to the shrine, attending during its spring and autumn festivals and on the August 15 anniversary of Japan's surrender. Her shift to remote offerings reflects the intense diplomatic pressure that accompanies the nation's highest political office.[4][5]

During the August 15 memorial ceremony earlier this year, Takaichi reportedly performed a remote act of worship toward Yasukuni Shrine from a nearby parking area. The compromise illustrates the ongoing tension between honoring conservative traditions and navigating the geopolitical realities of East Asia.[4][5]

Broader Regional Implications

The Yasukuni Shrine issue remains one of the most intractable barriers to trilateral cooperation between Japan, South Korea, and China. As the three nations attempt to navigate complex economic and security challenges, historical disputes continue to limit the depth of their diplomatic engagement.[1][5]

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has invested significant political capital in repairing ties with Tokyo, facing domestic criticism for his conciliatory approach. Takaichi's offering, while expected, provides ammunition to Yoon's political opponents who argue that Japan has not sufficiently atoned for its colonial rule from 1910 to 1945.[1][3]

For Takaichi, the autumn festival offering serves as a calculated maneuver to satisfy her conservative base without crossing the red line of an in-person visit. However, as regional security dynamics grow increasingly fraught, the diplomatic cost of such symbolic gestures continues to mount.[4][5]