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Tokyo, Oct. 17 (Jiji Press) — Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba made a ritual “masakaki” tree offering at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on Thursday, the start of its three-day autumn festival.
He is unlikely to visit the Shinto shrine, which is regarded by neighboring countries as a symbol of Japan’s past militarism as it honors Class-A war criminals along with the war dead, during the festival.
Ishiba, who took office on Oct. 1, is believed to have followed the practice of his predecessor, Fumio Kishida, who made masakaki offerings for the shrine’s spring and autumn festivals and “tamagushi” ritual offerings as chief of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party on the Aug. 15 anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II during his tenure.
