Japanese

"Yasukuni Temple"

The issue of Prime Minister's planned visit to Yasukuni Temple has torment Japanese diplomatic strategy for Asian countries like the splinter stuck in a throat.

Apart from the game of diplomacy, in consideration of the feeling of Asian people that became the victims of former aggression War and the families of the Japanese soldiers who lost life by this war involuntarily, and were offered up high on the pedestal of Yasukuni Temple, I who was born after World War II, hesitate to make a judgment about the pros and cons of the problem.

But I cannot agree the way of thinking of some of politicians and people that are called as intellectuals that object Prime Minister's planned visit to Yasukuni Temple by the reason that it adversely affect the interest of Japanese economy or anti-Japan feelings rising.

Actually, Japan has abandoned war for 60 years since after the war, and Japan has set a personal example that we would never conduct wars of aggression.

However, China and Korea have demanded apology and compensation from Japan by the reason of a difference of history recognition wherever possible, and Japan has accepted it, too.

Meanwhile, the issue of Yasukuni Temple seems to become a diplomatic card in negotiations between the governments. We have been made to carry a negative inheritance on our back for 60 years. Do we pass on a negative inheritance to our descendant as heretofore? I think time has come when we have to organize the essence of the problem, then bring an end to this problem by our generation and open for the prospects for the relation ship between China, Korea and Japan.
end

2005/12/13