Famous Japanese Comedian Sparks Controversy by Calling Prime Minister's Yasukuni Shrine Visit "Ideal"

Ota Hikari: "Class-A War Criminals Are Not Considered War Criminals in Japan"

Professor Seo Kyoung-Duk: "A Classic Attempt to Evade Japan's Responsibility"

Amid remarks made by famous Japanese comedian Hikari Ota defending visits to Yasukuni Shrine, Professor Seo Kyoung-Duk of Sungshin Women's University has called for a public apology.

On August 18, through his official social networking service (SNS) account, Professor Seo explained, "I learned about this through a tip from a netizen residing in Japan," and added, "It has been confirmed that Ota's statements defending the shrine visit have been widely covered by local media, sparking controversy."

Famous Japanese comedian Hikari Ota. Professor Seokyungduk

According to reports from Japanese outlets such as Nikkan Sports, Ota appeared on TBS's "Sunday Japan" on August 16 (local time), where he stated, "Personally, I believe it would be ideal for the prime minister to be able to officially visit Yasukuni Shrine." He also said, "Just because they are labeled Class-A war criminals doesn't mean they held the same status as war criminals as defined by Japan. The Tokyo Trials were held by the victors, which means that victorious and defeated countries were treated unevenly."

Professor Seo criticized these remarks, saying, "This is a classic evasive statement, attempting to dodge responsibility for Japan's wartime aggression and colonial rule by emphasizing the responsibilities of the victors."

He further demanded a public apology, stating, "Although this does not represent the opinions of all Japanese people, remarks like these by a well-known celebrity on a highly influential TV show can significantly mislead public sentiment."

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi attended the memorial ceremony for war dead held on the 15th (local time), which is Korea's Liberation Day and the day of Japan's defeat. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on the 15th performed 'yohai'—a remote worship rite in which one bows towards Yasukuni Shrine from afar—on the anniversary of Japan's defeat and Korea's Liberation Day. She also made a personal monetary offering to the shrine. 'Yohai' refers to paying respects by bowing from a location distant from the shrine, rather than visiting in person.

On the same day, four senior officials holding key positions in Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party—including Secretary-General Junichi Suzuki, General Council Chairperson Haruko Arimura, Election Strategy Committee Chairperson Yasutoshi Nishimura, and Policy Research Council Chairperson Takayuki Kobayashi—all made visits to Yasukuni Shrine.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.