S0321-50750000617-4-1

Article

Published

Issue 9

31-34

For more than a decade, seemingly private problem connected with the Yasukuni Shrine (Yasukuni Jinja) - national Shinto religion where souls killed in a combat are honored – has been periodically appearing in the spotlight, both in Japan and the neighboring countries.This fact causes not only the polarization of opinions within the Japanese society, but also serious conflicts with neighboring countries, mainly China and the Republic of Korea.Currently, due to the triumphant return to power of the Liberal Democratic Party and the subsequent strengthening of its position in the country and the intensification of foreign policy activities, this issue gained the major political and diplomatic nature. It is linked to fears in Japan and abroad related to the possible increase of the Japanese nationalist sentiments. Such fears are fueled by a certain nationalist rhetoric of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and some of his actions, in particular visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, which is regarded as a hotbed of the revival of Japanese militarism.

01.09.2014

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