Koizumi hints to visit shrine again this year (Agencies) Updated: 2005-05-16 16:50 Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi
indicated Monday he will visit Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine again this year despite
China's protests against his visits to the shrine, which it views as evocative
of Japan's militaristic past.
"I don't understand why I should stop
visiting Yasukuni Shrine," Koizumi said in a House of Representatives Budget
Committee session. "I will decide appropriately when to go."
 Japan's Prime
Minister Junichiro Koizumi raises a hand before he answers oppositions'
questions at the Parliamentary committee meeting at the National Diet in
Tokyo May 16, 2005. Koizumi, speaking at the meeting, said he saw nothing
wrong with his visits to Yasukuni shrine, which honors war dead including
convicted war criminals. [AP] | Koizumi had been ambiguous about whether he would visit the Shinto shrine
this year since Chinese President Hu Jintao lodged a strong protest against the
move last November, saying he would make an appropriate decision on whether to
do so.
But it has been widely speculated that Koizumi, who has visited the shrine
once every year since taking office in April 2001, will continue to pay a visit
at what he considers would be an "appropriate" time.
"Each country has ways to mourn the dead. Other countries should not
interfere with the way of mourning," he said in response to a call by opposition
Democratic Party lawmaker Yoshito Sengoku for the premier to stop the visits due
to opposition from China and South Korea.
The Shinto sanctuary in Tokyo venerates 2.5 million Japanese war dead
including seven men hanged for war crimes.
Neighboring countries invaded by Japan in the 20th century have voiced
outrage over Koizumi's visits with China repeatedly saying he must end his
pilgrimages to improve tense bilateral relations.
But Koizumi said he was paying tribute at Yasukuni shrine to all Japanese
people who suffered in war, not to any individuals enshrined there.
"I visit Yasukuni with the belief that Japan will not engage in war again. In
the past 60 years Japan has not gone to war," Koizumi said.
"It is true that there are feelings of complexity (with China and South
Korea) through war experiences but nothing has changed in efforts to deepen the
relationships," he said.
Koizumi reiterated that he sees no problem with the visits despite Beijing's
anger at visiting a shrine that honors convicted Class-A World War II war
criminals as well as the country's war dead, saying, "I'm not paying my respect
to individuals."
The premier also brushed aside views that his diplomacy is mostly deadlocked,
saying, "Japan's diplomacy has not been deadlocked nor isolated. It's going
fine."
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