Editor's note: Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi visited
the Yasukuni Shrine Tuesday morning, igniting strong protests from
neighboring countries. The following are comments from some
scholars.
Zhang Tuosheng, researcher with the China Foundation For
International and Strategic Studies:
In defiance of strong opposition from international and domestic
public opinion, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi paid
visit to the Yasukuni Shrine, where Japan's war dead, including 14
Class-A war criminals, are honored. It enrages people as well as
makes them feel sorry that a Japanese leader, who often expresses
his commitment to reform and demonstrates his maverick personality,
bids farewell to the premiership with such an outrageous act.
We are enraged because Koizumi's shrine visit once again
severely stings the feelings of the peoples whose countries fell
victim to Japanese aggression in history, and sets up one more
stumbling block to the improvement of Sino-Japanese ties.
We feel sorry because Koizumi insists that his Yasukuni visit is
dictated by his inner feelings, while it is universally
acknowledged that a real reform-minded politician must put his
country's vital interests and the will of the majority of people
above everything else, including his inner feelings.
It is also widely accepted that a genuine politician must face
realty squarely and be ready to correct his errors, instead of
obstinately clinging to his wrong course simply for the sake of his
"face."
Koizumi's act indicates that he is neither a qualified reformer
nor a far-sighted politician. His visit to the Yasukuni Shrine once
again smears the image of Japan among the international community.
The Yasukuni question has become the primary political barrier to
the betterment of China-Japan relations during Koizumi's tenure as
Japanese prime minister. It is in the fundamental interests of both
China and Japan to remove this stumbling block from our way towards
improving Sino-Japanese ties as soon as possible.
I believe future Japanese leaders will make the right political
decisions. Only when Japanese leaders stop visiting the war shrine
can they really help promote Japan's progress along the road of
peaceful development and seek its status as a "normal country."
This is where Japan's long-term interests lie.
Feng Zhaokui, researcher with the Institute of Japanese Studies
under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences:
While the voices opposing Junichiro Koizumi's Yasukuni visit
were getting increasingly loud inside Japan, Japanese right-wingers
threw their weight behind Koizumi, supporting his shrine visit.
Koizumi, egged on by such supports, visited Yasukuni for the
sixth time during his tenure and fulfilled his pledge that he would
visit the shrine on August 15, the date marking the end of World
War II in the Asia-Pacific with Japan's unconditional surrender in
1945. In the eyes of Koizumi, the only thing that counts is his
"personal pledge" and "personal conviction," while everything else
victim countries' opposition, the need of the souls of Japanese war
dead to rest in peace, and the United States' displeasure over his
visit pales into insignificance.
In sum, all that is crammed into his head is "personal" this and
"personal" that. All other things are non-existent in his mind:
"the people," "moral good," "national interests," and
"international community."
Then what on earth is Koizumi's "conviction"? It is nothing but
the erroneous historical outlook deeply rooted in his mind, which
asserts that Japan's prosperity today is built on the sacrifices
made by the Japanese war dead. This theory writes off the peaceful
development road taken by post-war Japan, which has led to the
country's economic success today, and white-washes the history of
aggression committed by the Japanese militarists.
Seeing through Koizumi's intention to ultimately abandon the
road of peaceful development and embark on the one of confrontation
with Japan's Asian neighbors, the Japanese people at last shout
out: "No Yasukuni, no war." This signifies that the Japanese
people, who also suffered enormously during the war, will never
forget the history and are not easy to deceive.
Zhu Feng, professor with Peking University:
Koizumi's visit to the Yasukuni Shrine is a "malign event" for
Asian peoples who fell victim to Japan's aggressive wars.
First, Koizumi chose August 15 for his visit. In his previous
visits, Koizumi tried to steer clear of this sensitive date. But
this time, he chose August 15.
Koizumi obviously intended to show his defiance to the loud
protests raised by other countries. In addition, he tries to see
that this "Yasukuni-visit politics" become a political legacy for
his successors, fanning the excessive nationalist feelings among
the Japanese and turning a blind eye to Japan's isolation from
other Asian countries.
Huang Qing, council member of the China Foundation of
International Studies:
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi visited the Yasukuni
Shrine every year during his term as the Japanese prime minister
but had never chosen August 15 for the visit. Now that he is bowing
out as prime minister, Koizumi has staged a more provocative act
towards Japan's neighbors, in spite of all.
Koizumi cited two reasons in defending his visit. First, he
said, it is Japan's internal affairs. Second, it is very much a
matter of "personal inner feelings."
The Yasukuni Shrine constituted the spiritual pillar for
Japanese army men in past wars and is still a place where Class-A
war criminals are honored. This involves the historical rights and
wrongs, the feelings of the peoples of the countries that fell
victims to Japan's aggression and the very political foundation on
which inter-country relations rest. So the matter goes far beyond
the scope of "Japan's internal affairs."
The "personal inner feelings" argument is by no means
convincing. Koizumi, as the incumbent Japanese prime minister,
represents the Japanese Government. From this perspective, he
enjoys very limited room for privacy. It defies reason when the
Japanese prime minister gives a free hand to his "inner feelings"
when such a sensitive affair as the Yasukuni visit, which also
carries important international significance, is involved.
Koizumi's repeated Yasukuni visits have something to do with his
personality, values and promises. But all these are not the primary
motivations. The most important motive is his eagerness to
accommodate the rising rightist national sentiments inside Japan
and, therefore, haul in political resources. All this involves the
direction in which Japanese politics will move in the future.
Koizumi tries to catapult Japan into big-power status by
insinuating into the United States' favor at the expense of Japan's
neighbors. He could not be more foolish, because he has chosen a
road of self-isolation and self-marginalization. When he goes too
far on this road, the United States would not give him the favor he
wants.
Changes have taken place in the mentality of many Japanese, with
many opposing Koizumi's obstinacy. Today, Japan is presented with
the question of readjustment of Japanese' mentality. Japan needs to
treat its neighbors in a more equal way and with peace of mind.
Narrow-minded agony and worries ought to be overcome. The
retribution brought upon Japan itself by such a harmful mentality
61 years ago should serve as a mirror today.
Piao Janyi, researcher with the Institute of Asia-Pacific
Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences:
The issue of the Korean Peninsula involves not only the internal
affairs and diplomacy of both North Korea and South Korea and
relations between the north and south, but also the relations
between the neighboring big powers and the peninsula, the
relationship between the big powers themselves regarding the Korean
Peninsula and the relations between international organizations and
the Korean Peninsula.
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi chose August 15 for
his sixth visit to the Yasukuni Shrine. This rubs salt into the old
wounds of the Koreans who were subject to Japanese colonial rule
and are now having disputes with Japan over territorial matters and
issues concerning exclusive economic zones. Koizumi's act could
prompt North and South Koreas to get closer with each other over a
string of questions such as history, territories and maritime
rights.
Koizumi's conduct now poses a barrier to big powers' getting
actively involved in addressing a string of issues on the Korean
Peninsula and bringing about in Northeast Asia a climate favorable
to international co-operation and peace.
Lau Nai-keung, member of the Chinese People's Political
Consultative Conference from Hong Kong:
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to the
Yasukuni Shrine, where war criminals are honored along with the
country's war dead, is an official expression of contempt for the
international court that passed these judgments. He has visited the
shrine repeatedly, despite persistent protests from neighboring
countries that lost tens of millions of lives because of the
atrocities committed by these criminals.
The message is clear: The Japanese Government does not accept
these judgments, and regards those war criminals as national war
heroes worthy of regular official worships. Is this the attitude of
a self-proclaimed peace-loving, civilized, normal country that
deserves a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council?
No way.
(China Daily August 16, 2006)
