Yasukuni shrine
was founded in 1869 as Tokyo Shukonsha by order of Mutsuhito,
the Meiji Emperor.The name of the shrine was
changed to Yasukuni-"peaceful
country" in 1979. Its primary function was to commemorate the soldiers
who died in the Boshin
War which led to the Meiji Restoration.
Presently
the souls of about 2,5 million Japanese and former colonial (Taiwanese
and Korean)
soldiers who died in conflict since the Boshin War are enshrined in the
memorial. This is done in the form of written record of their
name, place of origin,
time and place of death.
Among the soldiers commemorated in Yasukuni are about one
hundred Prisoners of War, executed for war crimes during
World War II. In 1978 the souls
of 14
class A WWII criminals were
quitely enshrined in the memorial as martyrs of
Showa.
After Japan's defeat in WWII the occupational Authorities
gave Yasukuni the choice of either becoming a secular
governmental institution or a religious
institution independent form the government. Yasukuni chose the second
option and became privately funded.
