Japan's latest tributes to Yasukuni Shrine have once again torn open the wounds of its militarist past.
Those "honored" inside the shrine include 14 Class-A war criminals, directly responsible for Japan's wars of aggression.
Yet Japan's right-wing politicians, including Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, keep doing so. Takaichi's approval rating has fallen to its lowest since she took office, and the pattern is hard to miss: when support slips, the appeal to ultra-right sentiment grows louder.
China condemned the latest visits and offerings, warning that they seek to rehabilitate war criminals, whitewash wartime atrocities, distort history, and pave the way for Japan's remilitarization.
Japan cannot build lasting trust with its neighbors while paying homage to the war criminals. Only with an honest reckoning, can reconciliation begin.
Produced by Xinhua Global Service■
