Yasukuni and its interpretation of history
Image taken from: http://www.geraldinesherman.com/Yasukuni.jpg

Yasukuni is known for being a controversial shrine because of the differences of interpretation of its role, meaning and significance.

The official web page of the shrine claims that it was created "...for the worship of the divine spirits of those who sacrificed themselves for their country". Japanese interpretations put an emphasis on the fact that "Japan was forced into conflict" to"maintain the independence and peace of the nation and for the prosperity of all of Asia". Moreover, the statement is made that the Japanese were victims of foreign influence and the Prisoners of War enshrined in Yasukuni were "cruelly and unjustly tried" by a "sham-like tribunal of the allied forces". On the official web page of Yasukuni shrine a "correct view of history" is presented. It is argued there, that claims about Asian women forced to prostitute by Japanese soldiers are not devoid of ulterior motives and that such claims are tarnishing the memory of the noble souls enshrined in Yasukuni.

According to another interpretation, however, namely that of Korea, China, Taiwan and some peace groups in Japan, Yasukuni shrine is a symbol of the"Japanese militarism and right-wing nationalism". They argue that the political leaders of Japan "are not looking critically enough at their country's history" and that the Yushukan war museum provides a distorted view of Japan's history, offering to its visitors books with titles such as: "The Alleged Nanking Massacre". Richard Bitzinger of the Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu says that Yashukan is "...revisionist. A whitewash. Major battles where many thousands lost their lives on both sides are simply called Japanese 'operations' or 'incidents.'".

These are certainly not the only interpretations about Yasukuni, but where does the truth about the shrine lie? While both sides have pretty strong arguments in defense of their claims, the fact remains that the positions they are taking are partly influenced by the feeling of hurt national pride and honor. This makes makes the issue a very delicate one, as its possible solution gets complicated and the attempts to approach the subject result in heated debates and conflicts on national and international level.