As the day the war ended, when August15 approaches the mass media pays attentions to whether the country's prime minister plans to visit the shrine to honor the war dead including war criminals, whose enshrinement arouses controversy. Junichiro Koizumi, who is now retired from politics, was the last prime minister to make a formal visit to Yasukuni. His visit about four years ago caused anger from the countries once invaded by Japan such as China, North and South Koreas, and Southeast Asian countries.
I have somewhat mixed feeling of the shrine because I went to high school near it and remember the noisy rightist propaganda cars driving near the shrine but also, of course, the beauty of the cherry blossoms.
Rarely did I get a chance to go there after graduating from my high school, but about a year ago I started to take my guests there because Yasukuni Shrine is a good place to learn about the Japanese tradition, culture and history. We can see the main hall of the shrine before an outdoor theater of Noho, a traditional stage performance, a Japanese garden, a sumo ring and sometimes ikebana flower arrangements. And the war memorial building called Yusyuukan exhibits cannons, a warplane, and other items related with the war.
In early December of last year Danny from the UK and I went around the shrine, fully enjoying its autumn colors. It was the first day of his first trip to Japan and the visit, I think, was a good introduction to my country.
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| The path lined with gingo trees leads to the main hall |
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| The main hall of Yasukuni Shrine |
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| Noho theater |
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| Japanese garden |
