Yasukuni Shrine
Yasukuni Shrine was originally intended to honour the dead from the Meiji Restoration wars, but its patronage expanded with the 1890's war against China and the 1905 Russo-Japanese war. At that time the shrine had 10 million visitors annually, and while visitor numbers dwindled they were still in the millions. Before heading into battle soldiers would say 'Let us meet at Yasukuni' and nearly 2.5 million spirits are honoured here. More famously these include over 1,000 convicted of World War II war crimes including prime minister General Tojo who resigned in 1944 and was later one of the last to be hanged at Sugano prison, two days before Christmas 1948. Their subsequent enshrinement here, managed surreptitiously by the Japanese government, has outraged other nations. A diary kept by the Imperial Household Agency head, Tomohiko Tomita, revealed that Emperor Hirohito stopped visiting here in 1978 because top war criminals were included. Some see the shrine as a symbol of Japanese nationalism, and it attracts demonstrations. Every ten years or so a Japanese prime minister pays his respects - most recently Shinzo Abe but before that Junichiro Koizumi and Ryutaro Hashimoto and others. There is no explanation for Justin Beiber's visit.
Over the years, the shrine has had other purposes. Horseraces were held here until 1898; the track was removed in 1901. A Noh (performance) stage still exists on the grounds, and there is a military exhibition. Sumo tournaments were held here until 1920, when a new Sumo stadium opened elsewhere. I believe the building in the background is Hosei University’s Boissonade Tower.
Yasukuni Shrine
Yasukuni Shrine was originally intended to honour the dead from the Meiji Restoration wars, but its patronage expanded with the 1890's war against China and the 1905 Russo-Japanese war. At that time the shrine had 10 million visitors annually, and while visitor numbers dwindled they were still in the millions. Before heading into battle soldiers would say 'Let us meet at Yasukuni' and nearly 2.5 million spirits are honoured here. More famously these include over 1,000 convicted of World War II war crimes including prime minister General Tojo who resigned in 1944 and was later one of the last to be hanged at Sugano prison, two days before Christmas 1948. Their subsequent enshrinement here, managed surreptitiously by the Japanese government, has outraged other nations. A diary kept by the Imperial Household Agency head, Tomohiko Tomita, revealed that Emperor Hirohito stopped visiting here in 1978 because top war criminals were included. Some see the shrine as a symbol of Japanese nationalism, and it attracts demonstrations. Every ten years or so a Japanese prime minister pays his respects - most recently Shinzo Abe but before that Junichiro Koizumi and Ryutaro Hashimoto and others. There is no explanation for Justin Beiber's visit.
Over the years, the shrine has had other purposes. Horseraces were held here until 1898; the track was removed in 1901. A Noh (performance) stage still exists on the grounds, and there is a military exhibition. Sumo tournaments were held here until 1920, when a new Sumo stadium opened elsewhere. I believe the building in the background is Hosei University’s Boissonade Tower.