41 Pct Back Possible Visit by Takaichi to Yasukuni Shrine: Jiji Poll

Tokyo, Oct. 16 (Jiji Press)–More than 40 pct of respondents support a visit by Sanae Takaichi, leader of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, to the war-related Yasukuni Shrine if she is appointed prime minister, an opinion poll by Jiji Press showed. In the poll conducted from Friday through Monday, respondents who backed her worshipping at the Shinto shrine, which enshrines Class-A war criminals from World War II among the war dead, occupied 41.2 pct, while those who opposed it accounted for 21.8 pct. Those who said they were unsure made up 37.1 pct. Takaichi has repeatedly visited the shrine, including during her tenure as a cabinet member. But she is expected to forgo a visit to the shrine during its autumn festival set for Friday through Sunday amid concerns within her party that it would hurt Japan’s relations with China and South Korea. The poll found that 49.3 pct of LDP supporters favored her worshipping at the shrine, while 17.9 pct were against it. Of supporters of the Conservative Party of Japan, 90.9 pct upheld such a visit, and none objected to it. Among Sanseito supporters, 75 pct were in favor of her visiting the shrine and 7.1 pct were against it. Supporters of the Democratic Party for the People who backed such a visit accounted for 54.5 pct. Of supporters of Komeito, a former LDP ally that last week left the coalition, 31.3 pct favored her possible worship, while 34.4 pct opposed it. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]