Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is expected to skip a visit to Tokyo¡¯s war-related Yasukuni Shrine on Saturday, the anniversary of the country¡¯s surrender in World War II, people familiar with the matter said Wednesday.
She is apparently considering the need to maintain good relations with South Korea and smooth the way for diplomatic events in the months to come, including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit to be held in China in November.
The Shinto shrine is regarded by neighboring Asian countries such as South Korea and China as a symbol of Japan¡¯s wartime militarism, as it honors Class-A war criminals along with the nation¡¯s war dead.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.