It really staggers the mind to realize how your analogy so perfectly captures the cultural mindset of Japan, its society, its history, its people. its smug, unmitigating arrogance in the face of its millenium-long sordid, savage legacy.
Huh???? You must have replied to the WRONG person dude.
Never mind, I see what you're referring to :)
Yeah, i mean, i can't imagine if German chancellor is going to a temple worshipping Hitler's goons, but that's exactly what the leaders (and lots of them) of Japan have done repeatedly. yet, it's somehow tolerated.
We're not talking about some fringe element of the society, but the leader of their government + the majority of the parliament... so this is somewhat scary in the long term.