Review Essay: Who Was Responsible?

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Notes

1. It was interesting to see the way Yomiuri changed its position regarding the Yasukuni Shrine issue. The paper had condemned Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi for saying he visited the shrine ‘not for the Class A criminals’, and said he was, in failing to pay respect to all those honoured at the shrine, not worthy of leadership. Shortly thereafter, editor and chairman Tsuneo Watanabe changed course and started the year-long series. He regards general and prime minister Hideki Tojo as bearing the greatest war responsibility, even suggesting he is unworthy of being honoured at the shrine. Shintoism allows anybody to worship anything as a god. It is culturally correct to let Yasukuni Shrine make a choice as to whether or not to include him. But Tojo failed to take his own life in spite of his military background. From the Japanese point of view, it would be much more honourable for Tojo (or his offspring) to decline being enshrined. That gesture would save everybody face.

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Lanxin Xiang

Lanxin Xiang is Professor of International Politics and History and Director of the Center for China Policy Analysis at the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva.