China and South Korea Condemn Japan's Yasukuni Shrine Tributes

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and several cabinet ministers drew international condemnation on August 16, 2026, for paying homage to the Yasukuni Shrine on the 81st anniversary of Japan's World War II surrender. Takaichi performed a remote act of worship and made a monetary offering in her capacity as president of the Liberal Democratic Party. Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and other senior officials also visited the shrine, which is controversial for honoring 14 convicted Class-A war criminals.

The Government of China and the Government of South Korea denounced the actions. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian characterized Takaichi's address at the National Memorial Service for the War Dead as a "major backward step on historical issues," accusing her of blurring Japan's responsibility for wartime aggression. China further asserted that the Takaichi administration is attempting to cover up and reverse the verdict on Japan's history of aggression.

South Korea deplored the repetition of "anachronistic acts," while Malaysian Member of Parliament Tan Kok Wai criticized the gestures alongside Japan's 2026 expansion of its defense industry. Chinese Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Jiang Bin warned that pursuing neo-militarism would threaten regional peace. China urged the Japanese government to make a clean break with militarism, noting the 80th anniversary of the Tokyo Trials.