East Asia
There had been speculation that Sanae Takaichi, a regular visitor before becoming Japan's prime minister in October 2025, might visit the shrine like then-premier Shinzo Abe had done in 2013.
A Japanese flag flutters as people visit Yasukuni Shrine to pay tribute to the war dead on the 81st anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II, in Tokyo, Japan, Aug 15, 2026. (Photo: Reuters/Issei Kato)
15 Aug 2026 10:58AM
TOKYO: Japan's defence minister paid his respects Saturday (Aug 15) at a shrine honouring the country's war dead that has long dogged Tokyo's relations with its Asian neighbours, but Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stayed away.Shinjiro Koizumi's visit to the Yasukuni shrine took place 81 years after Japan's surrender in World War II, an anniversary when crowds, including a small number in military-style uniform - and senior political figures - throng the site.There had been some speculation that Takaichi, a regular visitor before becoming prime minister in October, might attend the shrine like then-premier Shinzo Abe, her mentor, had done in 2013.That visit sparked fury in China and South Korea and even a rare rebuke from close ally the United States.
