Kazutero Sayunji, a professor at Higashi Nippon International University, said that Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is openly promoting the falsification of history and historical facts.
In an interview with the Chinese news agency Xinhua, he pointed out that Takaichi is leading Japan down a dangerous path by offering sacrifices to the temple associated with militarism and seeking to whitewash the history of Japanese aggression during World War II.
On August 15, during a ceremony commemorating Japan's exit from World War II, Takaichi pledged never to repeat the horrors of war, but she did not express remorse, contrary to the tradition followed by previous Japanese prime ministers.
Kyodo News reported that the Prime Minister offered sacrifices at the Yasukuni Shrine on the anniversary of Japan's declaration of its exit from World War II.
It is worth noting that the Yasukuni Shrine, which contains memorial tablets bearing the names of those who fell "for the Emperor and Great Japan" in various wars—including the names of 14 World War II war criminals—is associated in the minds of Asian countries with Japanese militarism.
Professor Sayonji added: "In recent years, I have increasingly felt that Japan is heading down a dangerous path, and this feeling of crisis reached its peak on August 15. She (Takaichi) is openly promoting the distortion of history."
The professor pointed out that the distortion and revision of history have been gaining momentum in Japan in recent years, with terms such as "aggression" being replaced with neutral formulations in some school curricula, while the idea of "self-defense" has been gradually and subtly incorporated into the historical narrative.
The expert believes that it is absolutely inconceivable in Germany and Europe for German politicians to visit the tomb of Hitler and other Nazi criminals, but similar actions by Japanese politicians towards the Yasukuni Shrine are observed and are considered acceptable and permissible within Japan.
