The Yasukuni Shrine in
Tokyo
Understanding and Transforming
Chosen Traumas and Glories
Tatsushi Arai
What is Yasukuni? (1)
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Yasukuni = “Pacifying the Nation”
Shinto shrine dedicated to those who have died for
the Japanese nation and the emperor since 1853.
Built in 1869 by the Meiji Emperor to commemorate
the victims of a civil war over “modernization”.
What is Yasukuni?
The event of 1853
What is Yasukuni?
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2.5 million killed in wartime
worshipped as “gods”
The “gods” include class A
war criminals sentenced to
death by the Tokyo Trial.
Embodiment of the emperor
and national Shintoism till ‘45
Rituals in Yasukuni:
How do people become gods?
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Names recorded in
the “Book of Souls”
Placed on a futon
mat; prayers offered
Souls merging into
the ocean of life
Musemum in Yasukuni (1)
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Views WWII and
other wars as
policies for selfdefense
Wars fought to
achieve equality
among races, and
remove western
imperialism
Museum in Yasukuni (2)
Yasukuni: Why important?
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Official visits on August 15 by Japanese prime
ministers cause controversies in China, Korea,
Taiwan, etc.
Damage on diplomatic relations
Yasukuni as a cultural carrier
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Implications for chosen glories and traumas?
Implications for the past-present link?
What can we do about this?
Okinawa - Cornerstone of Peace
Visions toward 2015:
Asia-Pacific Peace Memorial
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Religiously “neutral” venue for prayer, joint
reflection, and dialogue in Tokyo
Multi-national and communal – not exclusive
nationalism
Joint-visits by heads of state and ordinary citizens
Art, music, international youth camps – dedicated
to future generations