http://news.yam.com/afp/international/200808/20080815153569.html
下台爭議少 日前首相安倍晉三參拜靖國神社
法新社╱盧瑞珠 2008-08-15 11:35
（法新社東京十五日電）在首相任內為避免影響與其他亞洲國家關係，不到靖國神社參拜的日本前首相安倍晉三，今天利用二次世界大戰終戰紀念日的機會前往參拜。
一名法新社記者目睹，這位前首相和其他日本祭拜者，一起出現在靖國神社內。靖國神社內供奉兩百五十萬名陣亡將士牌位，其中包括十四名二次大戰期間的一級戰犯。
安倍一向以對歷史持保留態度，並支持靖國神社地位著稱，但他在二零零六年擔任首相期間，硬是保持距離，好讓日本修復與中國和南韓的關係。
他在去年因大選失利下台，繼任者福田康夫長期主張與亞洲維持更好關係，拒絕前往參拜。
日本前首相小泉純一郎在二零零一年到零六年擔任首相之際，曾因參拜靖國神社，惹惱中國和南、北韓等國，一直拒絕與日本政府高層互動。三國視靖國神社為日本過去侵略勢力象徵。
安倍在首相任內，曾經因為質疑二次大戰期間，亞洲各國的慰安婦，是否是直接被日本政府強迫為日本軍人提供性服務，引發強烈爭議。
許多日本退伍軍人和右翼激進份子，每年都會在八月十五日，日本在二次世界大戰投降紀念日當天，前往靖國神社參拜。前首相小泉純一郎也在今天前往。
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080815/wl_asia_afp/japanpoliticsshrinewwii_080815063930
Japan PM voices remorse for WWII on surrender date
by Kimiko de Freytas-Tamura
41 minutes ago
TOKYO (AFP) - Japan's Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda refused to join his predecessors in visiting a controversial war shrine here Friday as he expressed his country's remorse for the pain it inflicted in World War II.
Known for his conciliatory views on Japan's wartime history, Fukuda marked the anniversary of its defeat in 1945 with a moment of silence in a nationally broadcast annual memorial service.
"The nation inflicted significant damage and pain on many countries, especially on people in Asian countries," Fukuda said at a ceremony attended by Emperor Akihito, whose father Hirohito surrendered exactly 63 years earlier.
"Here I express, on behalf of the nation, deep remorse and humble condolences for all of the people who fell victim."
Fukuda stayed away from the Yasukuni shrine, which honours 2.5 million Japanese war dead including 14 top war criminals from World War II. Instead, he offered flowers at a nearby secular cemetery to war dead.
But Fukuda's two predecessors, Junichiro Koizumi and Shinzo Abe, both went to the Yasukuni shrine.
Koizumi's 2001-2006 premiership was beset by tension with China and South Korea, which accused him of condoning militarism by visiting the shrine every year.
Abe stayed away from Yasukuni after taking office as he worked to repair relations with the neighbouring countries.
Passions about the war still run high in East Asia, with many Chinese and Koreans resentful over Japanese atrocities on their soil. Koreans celebrate "Liberation Day" on August 15.
In Seoul, people celebrated the 63rd anniversary of Korea's liberation from 35 years of harsh Japanese colonial rule.
President Lee Myung-Bak, involved in a territorial dispute with Tokyo over islands in the Sea of Japan (East Sea), urged Tokyo to "face up to history and refrain from making the foolish mistake of repeating the unfortunate past again today."
Fukuda has placed a priority on mending ties with China and South Korea, although he did not stop three of his cabinet ministers from visiting the Yasukuni shrine.
"I prayed for the souls of those who offered their lives for the country to rest in peace," Farm Minister Seiichi Ota told reporters after visiting the sprawling Shinto shrine in central Tokyo.
Justice Minister Okiharu Yasuoka and Seiko Noda, the minister in charge of food safety and consumer issues, also prayed at the Yasukuni shrine, along with dozens of lawmakers.
Emperor Hirohito, who was revered as divine and had never spoken to the public before, went on the radio on August 15, 1945 to announce Japan had to "bear the unbearable" and surrender as its cities lay in ruins, two of them obliterated by US nuclear bombs.
Many Japanese veterans and right-wing activists congregate at the Yasukuni shrine on the anniversary of surrender, which coincidentally falls during Japan's traditional holiday of mourning for ancestors.
"It's nonsense that neither Prime Minister Fukuda nor the emperor are paying homage," said an 83-year-old man who came to the Yasukuni shrine and said he lost his brother and two cousins in the war.
Mamoru Aoki, 37, said he came to the shrine after watching the controversial documentary film "Yasukuni" by Chinese filmmaker Li Ying.
Conservative politicians had criticised the film, which discussed the shrine issue, and nationalist activists had tried to block it from being shown before it opened in May.
"I have my doubts about a shrine honouring the military," Aoki said. "I wonder if those paying homage here really understand the meaning of war."
North Korea's Korean Central News Agency blasted shrine visits by Japanese politicians.
"The ceaseless visits to 'Yasukuni shrine' in Japan are a total negation of the Japanese history of aggression and crimes," it said, warning that visiting it "leads to militarism and destruction and disgrace."
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