Japanese leadership race puts spotlight on Yasukuni visits

Diplomatic ties with neighbours could suffer if new LDP president goes to shrine, writes Hiroki Noda

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Sanae Takaichi, a strong candidate for the Liberal Democratic Party's presidential election today, visits the Yasukuni shrine on the 77th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II, in Tokyo, Japan, in this Aug. 15, 2022 photo.

(REUTERS)

The leadership contest of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party has brought the contentious issue of visits to the war-linked Yasukuni shrine into the spotlight, with diplomatic experts warning of the potential for strain on ties with South Korea and China depending on who wins.

How Tokyo's next leader handles the issue, with the shrine seen by Japan’s neighbours as a symbol of its past militarism, will be crucial to sustaining cooperation with South Korea amid growing security challenges from China and North Korea.

Three of the five candidates in today’s LDP presidential election visited the shrine on Aug 15, the 80th anniversary of Japan’s World War II defeat. The shrine honours millions of war dead, including convicted war criminals.

Among them were former internal affairs minister Sanae Takaichi and farm minister Shinjiro Koizumi, who ranked first and second, respectively, in recent Kyodo News polls on the most suitable person to lead the LDP. The next LDP chiefis likely to also take over as Japan’s prime minister, although this is not guaranteed, as the party's coalition with junior partner Komeito lacks a majority in either chamber of parliamentafter crushing setbacks in national elections in the past year.