63-year-old former military commander Umio Otsuka appointed as chief priest of Japan's Yasukuni Shrine, stirring controversy over its wartime aggression symbolism.
Japan's Yasukuni Shrine has appointed a former military commander, Umio Otsuka, as its chief priest, a move that could stir controversy over the site, which is seen as a symbol of Japan's wartime aggression by other Asian nations. Otsuka, a 63-year-old former Maritime Self Defense Force commander and one-time ambassador to Djibouti, is the first ex-military official to assume the post since 1978. The last retired military officer to hold the position, Nagayoshi Matsudaira, enshrined 14 prominent convicted war criminals alongside the 2.5 million war dead honoured at the shrine, including World War Two-era prime minister Hideki Tojo.
March 15, 2024
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