Key facts
- Internal Affairs Minister Sanae Takaichi did not visit the Yasukuni Shrine on the anniversary of Japan's World War II surrender.
- Takaichi instead paid respects to victims in Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and Okinawa.
- Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and other government officials visited the shrine.
- Dozens of lawmakers also prayed at Yasukuni.
- Takaichi made cash offerings as party leader through Shunichi Suzuki.
Japan's Internal Affairs Minister Sanae Takaichi avoided visiting the controversial Yasukuni Shrine on the 81st anniversary of Japan's World War II surrender. Instead, she paid tribute to victims of the war in Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and Okinawa, as well as those who died in overseas battlefronts, stating their sacrifice was the "foundation of Japan’s peace and prosperity today."
Takaichi declared, "Japan, since the end of the war, has consistently contributed to global peace and prosperity. We will never let the tragedy of the war be repeated." Her address was delivered at Nippon Budokan, near the Yasukuni Shrine.