In a move likely to spark controversy, Japanese Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi's predecessor, Yasuhide Koizumi, is set to visit Yasukuni Shrine on the 81st anniversary of Japan's formal surrender in World War II. The visit, scheduled to coincide with the annual V-J Day commemorations, is expected to reignite tensions with neighboring countries, particularly China and South Korea, who view the shrine as a symbol of Japan's wartime aggression and militarism. The shrine honors Japan's war dead, including 2.5 million individuals, including 14 high-ranking officials convicted of war crimes by the Allied powers. Koizumi's visit is likely to be seen as a provocative gesture by countries that have long demanded that Japan acknowledge and atone for its wartime atrocities.
Defence Minister Koizumi's visit to Yasukuni Shrine comes on the 81st anniversary of Japan's surrender in WWII.
