For those who have never visited the Yasukuni Shrine, it is located in central Tokyo and within walking distance of the Imperial Palace. It is easily accessible by subway, bus and taxi. It is beautiful, tranquil and dignified. Admission was free when I first visited it some 20 years ago.

The Shinto shrine was established by Emperor Meiji to commemorate those who died in the service of Japan. In the late 1970s, the names of more than a dozen Class A war criminals (to the rest of the world) or national heroes (to the Japanese far right) were quietly added to the commemoration.

I highly recommend making the trip, both as a Chinese tourist and student of history. Back then, it shocked me because I found it difficult to reconcile the beauty of the place with the horrors of the second world war in the Asia-Pacific.

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