Defense Minister Koizumi Among Four Ministers to Visit Yasukuni Shrine

Defense Minister Koizumi joined four other Cabinet ministers in visiting Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on August 15, the day marking the end of World War II. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi did not visit the shrine in person but offered prayers from the Nippon Budokan. Koizumi's visit was the first confirmed by a serving defense minister since Minoru Kihara's visit on August 15, 2024.

Other ministers attending were Hitoshi Kikawada, Minoru Kiuchi, and Kimi Onoda. Three Liberal Democratic Party officials, including Secretary-General Shunichi Suzuki, also visited the shrine. Takaichi had intended to refrain from visiting Yasukuni herself, instead making a monetary offering for a tamagushi ritual. The prime minister attended the national memorial ceremony for war dead at the Budokan and performed the Shinto ritual of bowing, clapping, and bowing at the shrine's parking area.

Torrential rain caused flooding in Chiba Prefecture, resulting in eight deaths and the investigation of a drainage pump failure. Volcanic alert level for Mount Aso was raised to Level 3 due to increased activity. Typhoon No. 17 was moving east and expected to weaken further. Google opened its first flagship store in Japan in Tokyo's Omotesando district.

Russian President Putin visited the Northern Territories, leading to a strong protest from Takaichi's Foreign Minister. Takaichi called on Iran to reduce military tensions in the Middle East. Nagasaki marked the 81st anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing with a memorial ceremony. Prime Minister Takaichi's economic strategy faced pressure as the Bank of Japan prepared for its September policy meeting.