Yasukuni Controversy Highlights Strained Japan‑China, Japan‑South Korea Relations

Yasukuni honors roughly 2.5 million war dead, including fourteen Class‑A war criminals such as former Prime Minister Hideki Tojo. Neighbouring China and South Korea view visits by Japanese leaders as attempts to glorify a militaristic past. Kishida’s decision to stay away was seen as a diplomatic overture amid already tense ties with Beijing and ongoing efforts to improve relations with Seoul, where a shrine visit could have provoked a fierce backlash.