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Takaichi Honors War Dead Amid Renewed Criticism from China, South Korea

4/21/2026

29 2 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

On April 21, 2026, Sanae Takaichi, the Japanese prime minister, offered a masakaki tree to the Yasukuni Shrine.
She is reportedly considering not visiting the shrine during the festival, which runs until April 23.
The shrine honors about 2.46 million war dead, including Class-A war criminals such as former Prime Minister Hideki Tojo.
China and South Korea have renewed criticism amid Japan's wartime history tensions.

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Story summary

On April 21, 2026, Sanae Takaichi, the Japanese prime minister, offered a masakaki tree to the Yasukuni Shrine.
She is reportedly considering not visiting the shrine during the festival, which runs until April 23.
The shrine honors about 2.46 million war dead, including Class-A war criminals such as former Prime Minister Hideki Tojo.
China and South Korea have renewed criticism amid Japan's wartime history tensions.