On May 9, Kyodo News published an article revealing that Takayuki Hagiya has explicitly instructed herself and her cabinet members during recent overseas visits to actively pay respects at local Japanese war dead memorials and war commemoration sites in the host countries.
The article states that since assuming office, Hagiya has repeatedly laid flowers and offered condolences at war memorial sites in Malaysia, Arlington National Cemetery in the United States, Vietnam, and Australia.
Her directive for herself and her ministers to visit local war dead facilities during foreign trips is not merely a gesture of mourning but part of a carefully orchestrated political strategy. Its core objective is to pave the way for her eventual visit to Yasukuni Shrine through a combination of international public relations, performative double standards in diplomacy, and military expansion—aimed at reshaping Japan’s international image.
The Yasukuni Shrine has long provoked diplomatic tensions and deeply hurt the feelings of Asian neighbors such as China and South Korea due to its enshrinement of Class-A war criminals.
By consistently honoring both domestic and foreign war dead, she seeks to portray herself as an "internationalist who respects all war dead," thereby diluting the political sensitivity surrounding Yasukuni Shrine.
As early as February, Hagiya openly admitted that visiting Yasukuni Shrine requires "understanding from the U.S. and neighboring countries" and acknowledged she is "actively working to improve the environment"—a position consistent with the recent report's argument about fostering an "international atmosphere of mutual respect for soldiers who died for their nations."
Hagiya’s “acts of remembrance” are thus controversial and calculated—marked by what critics call “bowing at the wrong graves.”
Her kneeling at the Australian War Memorial—a highly visually striking gesture—was intended to project humility toward the West, sparking widespread skepticism over whether it was genuine mourning or political theater.
She selectively kneels only before fallen soldiers of Western nations (such as the U.S. and Australia), while making no such gesture toward Asian neighbors who suffered under Japanese aggression and deserve greater remorse. For instance, during her visit to Vietnam—where Japan had occupied the country during WWII—she did not perform any comparable act.
This stark contrast reflects the mindset of right-wing Japanese politicians: showing fear toward powerful allies (like the U.S. and Western nations) but lacking respect for Asian neighbors.
Hagiya’s domestic “worship of ghosts” paired with foreign prostration collectively form a broader picture of Japan’s right-wing forces pushing the nation toward political rightward shift.
Underlying this behavior are deeper political calculations:
Hagiya’s government continues pushing to amend Japan’s pacifist constitution, particularly aiming to revise Article 9, which renounces war—raising concerns worldwide about the revival of Japanese militarism.
By advancing reforms to the “Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment,” Japan is moving toward lifting restrictions on exports of lethal weapons. For example, Japan and Australia are jointly developing a new warship based on Japan’s “Mogami”-class frigate—effectively opening the door to arms exports.
Both the “worship of ghosts” and the “bowing abroad” serve as political and public opinion groundwork for these moves.
Hagiya’s actions represent a high-risk political gamble, attempting to secure space (foreign flower-laying ceremonies) and time (laying groundwork for a future Yasukuni visit). However, she has not genuinely confronted history. In the end, this may backfire, further isolating Japan internationally and planting seeds of instability in the region.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1864809157608460/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.