Japan Institute for National Fundamentals

The Japan Institute for National Fundamentals placed an advocacy ad on the Yasukuni issue in four newspapers-- Sankei, Nikkei, Yomiuri, and Asahi--from May 9 to 14. The following is a translation of the advocacy ad.

China and South Korea have condemned visits to Yasukuni Shrine by Japanese cabinet members and lawmakers and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s vow never to yield to intimidation intended to prevent such acts of homage to the war dead. Some Japanese media organizations have also offered commentaries critical of the visits to Yasukuni and Prime Minister Abe’s resolute stance on this matter. They are trying to pin all the blame on Japan.

Is that fair?

As the prime minister has said, it is quite natural to pay respects to the souls of those who lost their lives fighting for their motherland. This is a matter that touches the hearts of the Japanese people. In fact, the real problem rests with China and South Korea, which have taken advantage of Japanese politicians’ pilgrimage to Yasukuni by escalating it into a diplomatic issue. Also to blame are those media organizations that have fanned controversy over this issue and ordinary Japanese people who have remained silent.

There is no doubt that it is important to promote confidence-building with China and South Korea. However, successive Japanese governments have made matters worse over the past decades by making unnecessary concessions one after another in an attempt to avoid ruffling the feathers of our Asian neighbors at any cost in the mistaken belief that doing so serves Japan’s national interests. To normalize Japan’s relations with China and South Korea, we must first see through those two countries’ political motives and then conscientiously explain our country’s position and firmly reject undue interference in our internal affairs.

Never yield to intimidation ― that is the stance that not only the Japanese government but all Japanese must take.

↑CLICK HERE (in Japanese, PDF full text)