Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sent a ritual offering to Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine on October 17, marking the start of the shrine’s three-day autumn festival. The prime minister, known for her conservative views and previous visits to the shrine before taking office, followed a longstanding tradition among Japanese leaders by sending a “masakaki” offering of evergreen twigs. However, a source close to her indicated that she is unlikely to visit the shrine in person during this year’s event, reflecting the sensitive diplomatic environment with Japan’s neighbors.
Takaichi has refrained from visiting the Yasukuni Shrine since assuming office on October 21, 2025, although she had attended its ceremonies regularly as a minister. Her gesture—sending the offering—aligns with practices upheld by her predecessors, even as it draws criticism from countries that see the shrine as a symbol of Japan’s wartime militarism.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry expressed strong disappointment in response to Takaichi’s offering, highlighting lingering sensitivities despite improved bilateral relations. In recent years, Japan and South Korea have taken steps to normalize ties, including resolving issues related to wartime forced labor and resuming reciprocal visits between their leaders in 2023.
Alongside Takaichi’s offering, several prominent Japanese officials visited the shrine on October 17. Economic and Fiscal Policy Minister Minoru Kiuchi, House of Representatives Speaker Eisuke Mori, and Senate President Masakazu Sekiguchi each made ritual offerings. Kiuchi stated to reporters that his visit was to pay homage to those who sacrificed their lives for the nation and to reaffirm a commitment to renouncing war. Additionally, a cross-party group of lawmakers intends to visit the shrine on October 19.
The Yasukuni Shrine honors millions of Japanese war dead, including 14 Class-A war criminals convicted by an international tribunal after World War II. Among those enshrined is Hideki Tojo, Japan’s wartime prime minister who was executed for crimes against peace. This association has made the shrine a significant point of contention between Japan and its neighbors, particularly China and South Korea. Japan’s historical invasions of China and its colonial rule of Korea between 1910 and 1945 remain sources of diplomatic tension linked to shrine visits.
Relations between Tokyo and Beijing remain strained, particularly following Takaichi’s statements in November 2025 suggesting Japan’s Self-Defense Forces could respond militarily if Taiwan, a self-ruled island claimed by China, were attacked. In this context, visits or offerings to Yasukuni are viewed in China as reminders of past aggression.
The last visit to Yasukuni by a sitting Japanese prime minister occurred in December 2013, when then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe—Takaichi’s political mentor—paid homage at the shrine. During the 2026 anniversary commemorating the end of World War II, Takaichi notably bowed and clapped toward the shrine from a distance at the government-sponsored memorial ceremony across the street, signaling a nuanced approach to the issue.
These developments underscore the continued complex symbolism of the Yasukuni Shrine in Japan’s political and diplomatic landscape.