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The Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo

The Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo. Understanding and Transforming Chosen Traumas and Glories Tatsushi Arai. What is Yasukuni? (1). Yasukuni = “Pacifying the Nation” Shinto shrine dedicated to those who have died for the Japanese nation and the emperor since 1853.

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The Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo

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  1. The Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo Understanding and Transforming Chosen Traumas and Glories Tatsushi Arai

  2. What is Yasukuni? (1) • Yasukuni = “Pacifying the Nation” • Shinto shrine dedicated to those who have died for the Japanese nation and the emperor since 1853. • Built in 1869 by the Meiji Emperor to commemorate the victims of a civil war over “modernization”.

  3. What is Yasukuni? The event of 1853

  4. What is Yasukuni? • 2.5 million killed in wartime worshipped as “gods” • The “gods” include class A war criminals sentenced to death by the Tokyo Trial. • Embodiment of the emperor and national Shintoism till ‘45

  5. Rituals in Yasukuni: How do people become gods? • Names recorded in the “Book of Souls” • Placed on a futon mat; prayers offered • Souls merging into the ocean of life

  6. Musemum in Yasukuni (1) • Views WWII and other wars as policies for self-defense • Wars fought to achieve equality among races, and remove western imperialism

  7. Museum in Yasukuni (2)

  8. Yasukuni: Why important? • Official visits on August 15 by Japanese prime ministers cause controversies in China, Korea, Taiwan, etc. • Damage on diplomatic relations

  9. Yasukuni as a cultural carrier • Implications for chosen glories and traumas? • Implications for the past-present link? • What can we do about this?

  10. Okinawa - Cornerstone of Peace

  11. Visions toward 2015:Asia-Pacific Peace Memorial • Religiously “neutral” venue for prayer, joint reflection, and dialogue in Tokyo • Multi-national and communal – not exclusive nationalism • Joint-visits by heads of state and ordinary citizens • Art, music, international youth camps – dedicated to future generations

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