wfn.org | NCC Japan Protests Koizumi Visit to Yasukuni Shrine

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

Mr. Junichiro Koizumi
  Prime Minister

April 23, 2002

STATEMENT TO PROTEST YOUR VISIT TO YASUKUNI SHRINE ON APRIL 21.

Dear Prime Minister Koizumi:

On behalf of Christians who are seeking  peace, we strongly protest  your
visit, during this time of spring memorial festival, to the Yasukuni Shrine
on April 21.  Your visit to the Yasukuni Shrine clearly violates the
constitutional principle of the separation of religion and the state and we
urge you not to pay a visit to the shrine again.

  Yasukuni has enshrined war dead as gods for their devotion to the Emperor.
The Shrine also enshrined Class A war criminals who were responsible for the
war crimes as gods.  Reflecting deeply upon the past war of aggression
committed under State Shinto and militarism, the Japanese Constitution
stipulated the separation of religion and the state and denounced the war in
expressing our determination that we will not repeat our mistakes again. Your
visit to Yasukuni Shrine is an act of double violation against the
constitution in the sense that it plays a role in promoting militarism and in
affirming the past war as well as to violating the principle of the
separation of religion and the state.

The Koizumi Cabinet dispatched Japanese Self-Defense Forces to support the
U.S war of  retaliation in Afghanistan. Even now the " War Legislation "
emergency bills are in the process of submission to the Diet. This speedy act
of militarization tramples down our hope to seek  peace. It is quite natural
that there have been strong voices of concern raised over the possibility of
the remilitarization of Japan from neighboring countries as they greatly
suffered from the past war of Japanese aggression.  Their concerns turned out
to be reality backed  by your visit to Yasukuni Shrine and it will only
invite condemnation from our neighbors and further inflame these
relationships. It is not simply a  matter of "when " you pay a visit to the
shrine.

The chain reactions of terrorism and conflict in various places in the world
clearly indicate that military forces will never bring about peace. We firmly
believe that what is needed now is justice and peace which transcend the
nationality and ethnicity that ensures the values of life of people. It is
furthermore important to build a society with justice and peace through
diplomatic efforts and economic assistance based upon the Article 9 of the
Japanese Constitution as so to receive an honorable status in the
international community.

We sincerely request that you make an apology to our people and neighboring
countries for your visit to the shrine which is a symbol of militarism. We
also request that you will work for reconciliation and peace in the world.

Sincerely,

Ms. Reiko Suzuki
  Moderator

Rev. Kenichi 
Otsu
General Secretary

National Christian Council in Japan