Takaichi's "Yohai" Toward Yasukuni Sparks Controversy... Japanese Scholar Calls It "Part of Wartime Mobilization Ritual"

Performed "Two Bows, Two Claps, One Bow" from 500 meters away instead of direct visit
First such act recorded in prime ministerial activities since 1984
"Should Be Examined in Light of Separation of Religion and State"
Right-wing Factions Criticize as "Ambiguous Response"

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's decision not to visit the Yasukuni Shrine in person on last month's anniversary of Japan's defeat, but instead perform a "yohai"—a distant bow—toward the shrine from a location about 500 meters away, has sparked ongoing controversy within Japan. Academia in Japan has pointed out that yohai was a ritual utilized in the wartime total mobilization era, and has criticized the Prime Minister’s actions, questioning how they relate to the constitutional principle of separation of religion and state.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi attended the memorial ceremony for the war dead held on Korea's Liberation Day, which is also the day Japan surrendered. Although she did not pay respects at the Yasukuni Shrine, her memorial address did not mention reflection on the past damages caused by Imperial Japan, showing a somewhat right-leaning stance. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

According to the Asahi Shimbun and other Japanese media on September 6, Tetsuya Takahashi, Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo, described Prime Minister Takaichi's yohai as a "political performance" intended to appeal both to conservative supporters who favor a direct visit, and to assuage neighboring countries such as South Korea and China, which would likely object.

On August 15, Prime Minister Takaichi visited the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo to attend the national memorial ceremony for the war dead hosted by the government. She arrived at the venue’s parking lot around 11 a.m., exited her car, and performed the traditional Yasukuni Shrine worship method—two bows, two claps, and one bow—facing northwest. The Yasukuni Shrine is located approximately 500 meters in that direction. In response to reporters’ inquiries, a secretary from the Prime Minister’s office explained that she was performing a yohai directed toward Yasukuni Shrine.

Yohai refers to the act of showing respect toward a shrine or object from a distant location, facing its direction. According to the Asahi Shimbun, this is the first time since 1984, when the newspaper began keeping records of prime ministerial activities, that the term “yohai” has appeared in such a context. The plan for the yohai was known only to a very small circle around the Prime Minister, and even within the Prime Minister’s Residence, some expressed confusion, asking, “What is yohai?”

Professor Takahashi explained that while yohai has become unfamiliar in contemporary Japanese politics, during the prewar and wartime period it was closely linked to national war mobilization. For example, when a provisional rite was held to enshrine those killed in the Pacific War at Yasukuni Shrine, the military and the public would perform yohai during the emperor’s visit by bowing in the direction of Yasukuni from afar.

Similar yohai rituals were conducted in Korea and Taiwan during the Japanese colonial period as a part of the colonial rule and imperialization policies. According to related research, in Korea during the 1930s and 1940s, “Kyuseong yohai”—bowing toward Tokyo, where the emperor resided—was performed as part of the National Spiritual Mobilization Movement. In Taiwan, the establishment of local yohai sites and the expansion of yohai events took place as a means of strengthening the wartime regime.

Professor Takahashi pointed out that "The provisional rites at which the emperor participated were intended to raise military morale and foster national unity, with yohai being a component of that. Colonial subjects in regions such as the Korean Peninsula and Taiwan were also required to take part in such rituals."

He further criticized Prime Minister Takaichi’s act of performing yohai toward Yasukuni in her capacity as Prime Minister as not just an issue of diplomacy, but also as “a question of how Japan should confront its wartime history in light of the constitutional principle of separation of religion and state.”

Article 20 of the Japanese Constitution states that neither the state nor its organs shall engage in religious education or any other religious activity. However, the Japanese government has previously maintained that, simply by virtue of being public officials, not all visits by prime ministers to Yasukuni Shrine automatically violate the principle of separation of religion and state.

Prime Minister Takaichi visited Yasukuni Shrine several times before taking office. In the 2024 Liberal Democratic Party presidential election, she even expressed her intention to continue making such visits after becoming Prime Minister. However, she did not visit the shrine for the autumn or spring rites last year or this year, nor did she pay a direct visit on the anniversary of Japan's defeat—her first since taking office. Instead, she offered a donation out of her own pocket under her name as LDP president and performed yohai at the Budokan.

On the same day, four cabinet ministers from Takaichi’s cabinet, including Minister of Defense Shinjiro Koizumi, visited Yasukuni Shrine in person. The South Korean government expressed regret, calling it an "anachronistic act," while China also lodged a protest with the Japanese side. Since 14 Class-A war criminals from World War II are enshrined at Yasukuni, visits by Japanese politicians to the shrine have long been a source of diplomatic tension between Japan, South Korea, and China.

Prime Minister Takaichi’s decision to refrain from direct worship was criticized by Japan’s conservative and right-wing factions as well. The right-wing organization Issuikai criticized her, stating that, although she had previously indicated her intention to visit the shrine on the day of defeat, she replaced it with a yohai, describing her response as “ambiguous.”

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