LDP’s Takaichi Makes Ritual Offering to Yasukuni Shrine

Tokyo, Oct. 17 (Jiji Press)–Sanae Takaichi, president of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, made a “tamagushi ” ritual offering to war-related Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on Friday, the first day of its autumn festival. She is expected to refrain from visiting the shrine during the festival, which runs through Sunday, due to concerns about possible diplomatic repercussions, as she anticipates being nominated as prime minister during an extraordinary parliamentary session to be convened on Tuesday. The Shinto shrine is regarded by neighboring countries as a symbol of Japan’s past militarism as it honors Class-A war criminals along with the nation’s war dead. According to Takaichi’s office, the tamagushi offering fee was paid out of her own pocket, with the label reading LDP President. The offering was made through Haruko Arimura, head of the LDP’s General Council. “I visited the shrine on behalf of LDP President Takaichi,” Arimura told reporters. LDP Election Strategy Committee Chairman Keiji Furuya also paid a visit to the shrine Friday, as did Yoshitaka Shindo, chair of the Party Organization and Campaign Headquarters, and Takako Suzuki, who heads the Public Relations Headquarters. Takaichi visited the shrine during her tenures as economic security minister and internal affairs minister. During the LDP leadership election earlier this month, Takaichi did not clarify whether she would visit the shrine. “I would like to offer prayers from anywhere,” she said at the time. A series of diplomatic events, including a summit related to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, awaits the next prime minister. With Takaichi likely to be appointed prime minister, her visit to the shrine is certain to draw backlash from China and South Korea. Outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba made a “masakaki” ritual tree stand offering to the shrine for the autumn festival. Also on Friday, 64 members of a nonpartisan group of lawmakers visited the shrine together. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]