Saturday, August 15, 2026 -Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stayed away from Tokyo's controversial Yasukuni Shrine on Saturday as Japan marked the 81st anniversary of its surrender in World War II, a move widely seen as an effort to avoid further tensions with China and South Korea.
Instead, Takaichi attended the national memorial ceremony and mourned those who died during the war, while pledging that the tragedy of war must never be repeated.
The decision came with a significant diplomatic calculation. Yasukuni honors millions of Japan's war dead but also includes 14 convicted Class-A war criminals, making visits by Japanese leaders highly sensitive across East Asia.
Takaichi did not visit the shrine but sent a ritual offering, while Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and other officials went there in person, prompting criticism from China and South Korea.
Takaichi's absence may help limit an immediate diplomatic backlash, but her memorial speech created another point of concern. She did not explicitly mention Japan's wartime aggression in Asia or express remorse for atrocities committed during the conflict, language that has featured in previous leaders' statements.
With relations with China and South Korea carrying growing strategic importance, Tokyo's handling of its wartime legacy remains a closely watched test of Japan's regional diplomacy.
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