Japan's prime minister sends offering to Yasukuni shrine as autumn rites begin

At the start of Yasukuni shrine's three-day autumn festival, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi dispatched a ceremonial offering to the Tokyo site, a move that signals respect without a personal appearance. Known for her conservative stance, Takaichi had regularly visited the shrine during its spring and autumn events while serving as a minister, including a bowing ceremony on August 15, the war-end anniversary. Since assuming the premiership on Oct. 21 last year, she has refrained from entering the shrine, a practice last followed by Shinzo Abe in Dec. 2013.

Yasukuni honors millions of war dead as well as fourteen Class-A war criminals, including former Prime Minister Hideki Tojo, and its visits routinely provoke criticism from China and South Korea. The offering arrives as Tokyo navigates strained ties with Beijing—especially after Takaichi warned that a Taiwan attack could draw Japan's Self-Defense Forces into support of the United States—while relations with Seoul have improved after progress on forced-labor issues. The gesture underscores the delicate balance between domestic Shinto tradition and regional diplomatic sensitivities.