(Written by Guo Guanghao of Observer Network)
According to the news of the Japanese Communist Agency on October 7, the newly elected chairman of the Japan Self-Democratic Party, High City Morning Sun, intends to give up the visit during the rule of the autumn festival of the Yakuza Shrine from October 17 to 19, for this reason is coordinating related matters.
The regular festivals held twice every year in spring and autumn and the day of defeat on August 15 are the most symbolic times to visit the Yasukuni Shrine. During his tenure as a cabinet minister, Takashi visited the shrine many times at the above three times. The conservative newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun reported that the president's continued visit to the shrine after taking office had a great impact. As a result, opposition voices emerged within the Liberal Democratic Party and the Komeito Party. The Yomiuri Shimbun also mentioned that US President Trump will visit Japan at the end of the month. This decision also takes into account the US, which has a negative attitude towards the issue of visiting the shrine.
The Times news agency and the newspaper, which strongly supported the high market during the election, also similar news.
The news of "deciding not to attend the autumn shrine visit" came out after the second meeting between Takashi and the ruling ally Komeito Party ended on the 7th.
As early as the 4th, the Komeito Party held talks with Takashi and clearly raised three major concerns, the second of which was "historical cognition and visiting the Yasukuni Shrine". Tetsuo Saito, a representative of the Komeito Party, stressed at the time: "Many supporters are worried about this. If these problems cannot be solved, there is no possibility of forming a coalition government." After the meeting on the 7th, Saito told the outside world: The two sides reached an agreement that visiting the Yasukuni Shrine should not be a diplomatic issue in the increasingly severe security environment around Japan.
According to Kyodo News on the 7th, Minoru Kihara, who is scheduled to serve as Chief Cabinet Secretary in the Takashi Cabinet, is basically certain that he will not join the delegation to visit Taiwan on the 9th and 10th. Minoru Kihara served as Japan's Defense Minister from September 2023 to October 2024. He was also the affairs director of the Japan's cross-party parliamentary group "Japan-China Parliamentarians Forum" and visited Taiwan with the delegation many times.
The former governor of Osaka, one of the founders of the Japanese Conservative Society, commented on the two news on the same day, saying that "this is the reality". he ironically said that the parliamentarians who also worship the Yakuza Shrine say that they should pay attention to Taiwan always argue about what "to ignore the protests of China and Korea", but once they have to retreat to the position of fulfilling their duties.
A spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Thursday in response to questions from foreign media that he hoped that the Japanese side “will abide by its political commitments on major issues such as history and Taiwan.”
Professor Yildizee, director of the Japanese Research Center at Shanghai Foreign Language University, told the Observer Network that Japan could not attempt to contain China and stimulate China on the one hand, but also want to rely on China in economic development – the right wing’s idea is unrealistic.
You Zhigang, a researcher at the Institute of Northeast Asia of Heilongjiang Academy of Social Sciences and chief expert at the Institute of Northeast Asia Strategic Studies, also analyzed that Gaoshi's attitude on the issue of visiting shrines will not be as arrogant as before. It is inappropriate to overemphasize the issue of visiting shrines now. If Takashi visits the shrine immediately, he will not only encounter opposition at home and within the party, but also be questioned whether he has the qualifications as a leader. Internationally, being criticized by China, South Korea and other countries is not conducive to the new government's diplomacy.