Yasukuni Shrine

The right thing: Yasukuni on the anniversary

By CJ • June 27, 2008

TOKYO – On Wednesday, August 15, the anniversary of the conclusion of World War II, great debate will once again fall upon Yasukuni Shrine …

Yuko Tojo: Grandfather not a war criminal

By CJ • June 17, 2008

The granddaughter of former wartime Prime Minister Hideki Tojo, who was hanged as a war criminal following the Tokyo tribunals, believes that modern Japan is a nation bereft of dignity.

Right-wingers in Kudanshita

By CJ • May 8, 2008

The above scene is as the events unfolded just prior to this year’s pacifist demonstration in Kudanshita on August 15, the anniversary of the conclusion of World War II. The protest highlights the one day of the year where downtown Tokyo could nearly be confused for Pakistan or Tibet during times of political unrest; it literally turns into a riot zone as right- and left-wing groups oppose one another.