Japanese PM's war-linked shrine visit strongly condemned around world

Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo's visit to the Yasukuni Shrine was widely and strongly condemned by countries and people around the world. Scholars and the general public said that Abe's dangerous step has threatened regional peace and stability, and has been widely opposed by Chinese people and other peace-loving peoples around the world. Yang Bojiang, a research fellow with the Institute of Japan Study of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Abe's visit exposed his distorted values and conception of history. This is the first visit to the Yasukuni Shrine by a serving Japanese prime minister since Junichiro Koizumi's visit on Aug. 15, 2006. The notorious Yasukuni Shrine honors Japan's war dead, including 14 Class-A convicted WWII criminals. "The Japanese right-wing politicians, represented by Abe, are challenging mankind's moral and value limits," said Yang. Abe said his visit is to pay tribute to those who sacrificed their lives for Japan. However, the truth is that many of those who "sacrificed their lives for Japan" were major initiators of the devastating WWII and they brought tragedy to tens of millions war victims. Wang Shaopu, director of the Japan Study Center with the Shanghai Jiaotong University, said Abe's Yasukuni Shrine visit has hurt the feelings of Chinese people, people of the Republic of Korea, and all other people in countries that suffered Japan's bloody invasion during WWII. "Abe also hurt the feelings of people of the United States and other allied countries in WWII. It is a move that challenges the post-war world system and the judgments of the Tokyo War Crimes Trial," added Wang. The Tokyo trial sentenced seven major war criminals to death, including Toujou Hideki, Toihara Kenji, who are honored in Yasukuni Shrine.