Yasukuni row splits coalition

The Yomiuri Shimbun

The relationship between Japan and China that became strained over Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visits to Yasukuni Shrine continues to rattle the government and ruling parties.

Some Liberal Democratic Party members have become increasingly bitter toward China, while New Komeito has stepped up efforts to urge the prime minister to stop visiting the Shinto shrine. Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda has tried to settle the situation by refraining from criticizing China, but friction within the government and the ruling parties continues to grow.

Former LDP Policy Research Council Chairman Shizuka Kamei said at his faction's meeting Thursday said: "A problem concerning Yasukuni Shrine is a problem for the Japanese soul. The government should work toward making China and South Korea understand that."

Former Construction Minister Katsutsugu Sekiya said [Chinese Vice Prime Minister Wu Yi's abrupt cancellation of talks with Koizumi] broke international protocol. "It's extremely discourteous and ungracious toward Japan," he added.

Within the government, Diet members are frustrated by moves of China and South Korea that they say take advantage of historical issues.

Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura said at a meeting of the Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren) on Thursday: "Although we have told Chinese and South Korean foreign ministers that they can come to understand that Japan reflects on [war] by looking at its behavior after World War II, they don't say they understand because it's a tool they can use in diplomacy. They won't let go of this easily."

Machimura criticized Chinese and South Korean governments over the history textbook issue.
"Japan's militarism is not glorified in Japanese history textbooks. Criticisms of China and South Korea are only based on slogans written in newspapers," he said.

Meanwhile, New Komeito Secretary General Tetsuzo Fuyushiba said at a Diet members meeting Thursday that Koizumi should refrain from visiting Yasukuni Shrine, which enshrines the country's war dead including Class-A war criminals.

"I wonder if Japan should do something that China and South Korea don't like," he said. "We should take into consideration the sentiment of the people [in those countries] who were victimized in the war."

New Komeito leader Takenori Kanzaki and Fuyushiba talked about the matter Tuesday. They reportedly agreed at a press conference that Koizumi should refrain from visiting the shrine because the party's supporters said they want the government to clarify its stance on the issue.
However, a senior party official said, "I don't think that the prime minister will stop visiting the shrine, and I won't confront with Koizumi on the issue."

The party seems to have drawn a line on the issue ahead of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election in July.

Koizumi told reporters, "New Komeito has taken its own stance, and it's good that there are various opinions."

Morioka attacks China's approach

Masahiro Morioka, parliamentary secretary of the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry criticized the Chinese government for demanding Koizumi stop visiting the shrine. "Class-A war criminals are treated as bad people because of fear of China," Morioka said. "War criminals were categorized as Class-A, Class-B and Class-C at the Tokyo Tribunal of War Criminals. They were categorized by a one-sided tribunal led by the Occupation forces at which crimes against peace and humanity were created."

"A war is part of politics, and it is in line with an international law. The Diet unanimously agreed to pay pensions to the families of Class-A war criminals who have died. They're not seen as criminals in the country," he said.

"Saying it's bad to enshrine Class-A criminals at Yasukuni Shrine is to turn a blind eye to future troubles," he added.

Referring to Morioka's remarks, Hosoda said later in the day: "Such remarks should never be made by a member of the government. There were some errors in the judgments, but it's no use to comment on it. Japan accepted [the tribunal's decision]."

Koizumi told reporters at the Prime Minister's Office, "It's meaningless to take note of his remarks. It's got nothing to do with my visits [to Yasukuni Shrine]."

"I spoke about action the government should take," Morioka said. "Remarks that support the prime minister's visits to the shrine will never contradict the government's point of view."

Hiroshi Okuda, chairman of Nippon Keidanren, suggested at a meeting Thursday the government should consider separating Class-A war criminals from other war dead at Yasukuni Shrine.

"Prime Minister Koizumi doesn't visit Yasukuni Shrine to pray for Class-A war criminals," Okuda said. "It's necessary for the country to think again about whether Class-A war criminals should be in the shrine."

Lawmaker regrets comment

New Komeito lawmaker Junichi Fukumoto asked the House of Councillors administrative office Thursday to delete from the minutes of the upper house's Budget Committee remarks regarding Koizumi's visit to Yasukuni Shrine he made May 20.

Fukumoto had told Koizumi at a committee meeting, "I want you to think about how Jewish people would feel if the German chancellor visited the grave of Adolf Hitler." Fukumoto said his remark had been inappropriate.