Yasukuni, the War Dead, and the Struggle for Japan's Past

Located in the heart of Tokyo, Yasukuni is a controversial shrine dedicated to the Japanese war dead. It holds the remains of twelve convicted and two suspected Class A war criminals, and its museum features an account of Japan's involvement in the Second World War that many would describe as revisionist. Visits to Yasukuni by cabinet members often spark protests in Japan and abroad, especially in China, Korea, and Taiwan, and the shrine continues to foster a sense of mistrust between Chinese and Japanese governments. This volume presents authoritative yet divergent views on Yasukuni and its place in postwar Japanese diplomacy, ideology, and history, including critical contributions by leading Yasukuni and anti-Yasukuni Japanese intellectuals, as well as Chinese and Western commentators. For the first time, this collection gives English-speaking readers a full portrait of the shrine's significance and unique position in the highly contested history of Japan.