Japan agrees to consider building alternative to Yasukuni Shrine

chinadaily.com.cn ^ | 2005-06-20 19:22 | Xinhua

[Destro]

Japan agrees to consider building alternative to Yasukuni Shrine

(Xinhua)

Updated: 2005-06-20 19:22

SEOUL, June 20 -- Japan agreed to consider building an alternative memorial for the Yasukuni Shrine honoring Japanese wardead, including class A war criminals, in consideration of the public opinion in Japan, announced South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun on Monday.

In a televised joint press conference held Monday late afternoon after summit meeting with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Roh introduced to reporters that the two countries also agreed to set up a joint textbook committee to conduct study of their shared history.

Roh underscored the above two agreements were reached before his summit meeting with Koizumi through diplomatic channels of their respective countries.

Koizumi arrived in Seoul earlier Monday, and is to leave for home on Tuesday morning.

[Destro]

For the Japanese to even consider this (they might not do it but for them to even consider doing this) is earthshaking.

[Destro]

bump

[Question_Assumptions]

What people need to realize is that a lot of Japanese resistence to this is the Japanese desire to forget unpleasant things, not worry about who is at fault, and move along as if nothing was wrong. They place a lot of value on harmony. I think they're willing to swallow this move, which will rock the boat in Japan, because they realize that they'll never get harmony with Korea or China without it.

[Destro]

Your analysis rings true.

[BroncosFan]

I'd put a slightly different spin on this. That is, they know these visits piss off the ChiComs. They like that. I do too. But they also realize that they piss off other Asian countries who someday will have to decide whether to bandwagon with a rising China, or balance with a status quo Japan. And while I think a Unified Korea will tilt toward Beijing, other Asian countries are natural allies of Japan against China. Thus, I think the target audience is more Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, et al.

[TigerLikesRooster]

I wonder if Koizumi could keep his words on creating a new shrine. We will have to wait and see.

[Destro]

It would be a symbolic shrine - I don't see them taking urns out of the current one.