Koreans Appeal to Japan to Remove Ancestors' Names from Yasukuni Shrine

Korean civic groups gathered in Tokyo to condemn Yasukuni Shrine, a controversial site that enshrines individuals, including war criminals, who died for Japan. The symposium, held on August 9, 2026, at the Bunkyo Civic Center, highlighted growing concerns over the resurgence of militarism in Japan, particularly since the conservative administration took power in 2025.

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The relationship between the Japan Self-Defense Forces and Yasukuni Shrine has become so strong that some are claiming that JSDF soldiers who die in combat must be buried at Yasukuni.

Tetsuya Takahashi, a professor emeritus at Tokyo University, criticized the increasing ties between the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) and Yasukuni Shrine. He argued that the push to inter JSDF personnel at the shrine is unconstitutional and represents a dangerous attempt to link the postwar military with the imperial past. Takahashi stated, "The attempt to secularize Yasukuni Shrine for political reasons is unconstitutional and goes against the separation of church and state." He emphasized that the JSDF operates under civilian command, unlike the pre-war Imperial Japanese Army.

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The attempt to secularize Yasukuni Shrine for political reasons is unconstitutional and goes against the separation of church and state.

Masaie Ishihara, a professor at Okinawa International University, drew parallels between the historical framing of the Battle of Okinawa and the current situation. She explained how civilians, including infants, were coerced into mass suicides during the battle and later enshrined at Yasukuni, with the government manipulating information to evade responsibility for war crimes. Ishihara noted, "The Japanese government manipulated information to evade the state’s responsibility for the war and to exonerate the Japanese military of war crimes."

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During the Battle of Okinawa during World War II, Japanese soldiers coerced civilians into mass suicides, including infants. Those residents were regarded as having participated in combat as quasi-military personnel and therefore enshrined at Yasukuni.

The shrine enlists the spirits of 2.47 million people, including 14 Class A war criminals and approximately 20,000 Koreans who perished during Japan's wars of aggression and civil conflicts. For four generations, descendants of these Koreans have pursued legal action to have their ancestors' names removed from Yasukuni. However, Japanese courts have consistently rejected these appeals, underscoring the ongoing pain and unresolved historical grievances stemming from Japan's colonial rule.

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The Japanese government manipulated information to evade the state’s responsibility for the war and to exonerate the Japanese military of war crimes.