Kishida Makes Offering At Yasukuni Shrine, Two Ministers Pay Visits
Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio made an offering at Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine on Monday, the day Japan marks the end of World War Two.
Kishida did not visit the shrine, but sent his secretary to make the private cash offering in the capacity of the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party.
Yasukuni Shrine honors Japan's war dead. Those remembered include leaders convicted of war crimes after World War Two.
Economic Security Minister Takaichi Sanae and Reconstruction Minister Akiba Kenya paid visits to the shrine on Monday.
Takaichi later told reporters that she gave a private cash offering to the shrine in her capacity as minister of state. She said she extended her gratitude with a sense of respect for the souls of those who died for the country.
She added that she prayed for their families' health and that no more people will die in a war, citing the Ukraine crisis.
Akiba told reporters that he renewed his pledge that a tragic war should never happen again.
This is the third year in a row that incumbent Japanese Cabinet ministers have visited the shrine on August 15.
Hagiuda Koichi, the chairperson of the LDP Policy Research Council, also visited the shrine.
Meanwhile, a nonpartisan group of lawmakers of Japan's Diet decided not to visit the shrine on the anniversary due to the spread of the coronavirus.
Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Nishimura Yasutoshi visited the shrine on Saturday.