{
  "id": 837445,
  "title": "A look at the history and beliefs behind Japan’s controversial shrine to the war dead",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/14/a-look-at-the-history-and-beliefs-behind-japans-controversial-shrine",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-14T04:48:56.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Winnipeg Free Press",
    "slug": "winnipeg-free-press",
    "url": "https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/faith/2026/08/13/a-look-at-the-history-and-beliefs-behind-japans-controversial-shrine-to-the-war-dead"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Emperor Meiji made his first visit to the site that would become one of Japan's most controversial shrines in 1874. He made a vow that the names of those who died for their country would live there forever. The shrine, Yasukuni, was first established in 1869, just a year into Japan's new imperial era following the fall of a military government that had ruled for over 250 years. Its purpose was to honor those who fell defending the imperial cause.\n\nYasukuni's foundation marked a historic transformation in Japan. Emperor Meiji's father, Emperor Meiji himself, was considered a divine descendant of the sun goddess Amaterasu, under Shinto beliefs. However, during the Meiji era, the notion of the emperor's divine origins grew stronger with the rise of State Shinto. This meant the government controlled the shrine's practices and finances, blurring the line between patriotism and religion.\n\nToday, Yasukuni is a memorial and Shinto shrine in central Tokyo, honoring over 2.4 million people. Among them are 14 war criminals, who are also commemorated on August 15, the day Japan's World War II surrender ended. The shrine provides spiritual comfort for some and a symbol of Japan's militarism for others, particularly Asian countries that endured Japanese imperial rule and expansion.\n\nOfficial visits by Japanese leaders to Yasukuni have drawn criticism from China and South Korea, who see them as a sign of insufficient remorse for Japan's wartime aggression. The shrine is a complex figure, both a sacred place of remembrance and a source of controversy.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}