Prime Minister Abe pays respects at the Chidorigafuchi war cemetery (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)
No big outcry and no controversy, yet yesterday prime minister Abe paid respects to Japan’s war dead in WW2. Why did it not capture the headlines? Simply because unlike Yasukuni, the Chidorigafuchi war memorial does not glorify Japan’s military role in the war, has not secretly enshrined Class-A war criminals, and is not a rallying point for right-wing extremists and natinionalists. Nor does it have a museum which distorts history by portraying Japanese as victims, omitting all mention of atrocities and war crimes, and claiming Japan acted as ‘liberator’ in WW2. In short, Chidorigafuchi is a cemetery like that of Arlington in the US and countless others around the world where relatives and descendants can pay respects to those who gave their lives in wartime fighting for their country.
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MAY. 27, 2014 -Japan Today
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows at Chidorigafuchi cemetery where the unidentified remains of thousands of Japanese soldiers are interred together in Tokyo, Monday.
TOKYO —
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday attended a ceremony to honor the nation’s war dead at Chidorigafuchi cemetery where the unidentified remains of thousands of Japanese soldiers are interred.
Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery was built 1959 to house the remains of unidentified Japanese who died overseas during World War II.
The Tokyo memorial, maintained by the environment ministry, honors 358,260 dead, mainly soldiers, whose remains have been returned to Japan, but also some civilians who died overseas.
Abe laid a wreath at the cemetery ahead of a formal service of remembrance held at a large hall in Tokyo.
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Moderator MAY. 27, 2014
Readers, please note that the prime minister attends this event every year.
Nightshade 2014 MAY. 27, 2014
The article says: “…built 1959 to house the remains of unidentified Japanese who died overseas during World War II.” War ended 1945; cemetery opened 1959. That’s 14 years. Where were the remains before then?
Soulknyt MAY. 27, 2014
To answer your question on why it/s taken 14 years. The answer is that many soldiers remains have been taken from war sites from China, Korea and even other Japanese islands. Sometimes the remains cannot be identified and are instead buried there.
I think its a great move for Japan to remember their dead like this, anyone who complains would have to complain about Arlington, or the other cemeteries around the world.
Upgrayedd MAY. 27, 2014
Chidorigafuchi only honors the unidentified war dead. The identified dead are honored at Yasukuni. One of the criteria of being interred at Yasukuni is that they must know your name.
Personally, I think the government should build or sponsor a secular memorial at Chidorigafuchi which honors both unidentified and identified dead without the racist undertones that come through across the street at Yasukuni.
EthanWilber MAY. 27, 2014
Abe should visit Chidorigafuchi cemetery to give his deep and sincere prayer for peace instead of going to war-criminals riddled Yasukuni Shrine. That would have saved him tons of headaches and stinging criticism including that from long-term allies such as the US and Australia.
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