(LEAD) Japan PM refrains from visit to Yasukuni Shrine, but stops short of mentioning 'remorse'

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi performed an act of remembrance at Yasukuni Shrine on August 15, without visiting the shrine herself. This gesture came as she sought to avoid the strong dissent from neighboring nations, particularly South Korea and China, which often view such visits as attempts to gloss over Japan's militaristic past.

Upon assuming leadership, Takaichi had previously visited the shrine annually on August 15, her predecessor Shigeru Ishiba among them. However, her stance has appeared to change, as she refrained from personally visiting the shrine during her time as Prime Minister, opting instead to make an offering in her role as president of the Liberal Democratic Party.

Instead of visiting the shrine, Takaichi's Defense Minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, and Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs, Hitoshi Kikawada, made the pilgrimage. A group of leaders from the LDP also took the opportunity to visit the shrine. The shrine pays tribute to the nation's war casualties, including 14 individuals convicted as Class A war criminals during World War II, a fact that draws criticism from neighboring countries.

Takaichi's speech on the same day without visiting the shrine notably lacked any mention of remorse, a point that set her apart from her predecessor. While Ishiba had spoken of the need to renounce war and contemplate Japan's remorse over its past actions, Takaichi focused her remarks on the need to ensure that the horrors of war are never repeated. She reiterated Japan's consistent commitment to upholding the ideals of peace and its determination to make every possible effort towards achieving global peace and prosperity.