Japanese Prime Minister Says His Pledge to Visit War Shrine "Still Valid"
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has reaffirmed his pledge to visit the controversial Yasukuni war shrine on the anniversary of Japan's World War Two surrender next week.
Mr. Koizumi told a reporter Tuesday that his pledge is "still valid." If he goes next week, it would fulfill a campaign promise he made in 2001 to visit the shrine on the August 15th anniversary of the surrender.
The prime minister has visited the shrine yearly since taking office, but never on August 15th. His visits to Yasukuni have always been controversial because convicted war criminals are among the dead enshrined there.
Neighbors China and South Korea object to those visits because they say they glorify Japan's wartime aggression in the region.
日本首相小泉純一郎重申他將在下星期的二次世界大戰(zhàn)結束日本投降紀念日之時參拜有爭議的靖國神社的承諾。
小泉純一郎星期二對記者說，他的承諾“仍然有效”。如果小泉下星期前往靖國神社參拜，他將完成他在2001年競選時所做的在8月15號日本投降紀念日參拜靖國神社的承諾。
小泉純一郎自上任以來年年都去參拜靖國神社。但是從未在8月15號參拜過。由于靖國神社也供奉著日本二戰(zhàn)戰(zhàn)犯，所以小泉純一郎的參拜一直引起爭議。鄰國中國和韓國反對小泉的參拜。他們說，參拜美化了日本在該地區(qū)戰(zhàn)爭期間的侵略。
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has reaffirmed his pledge to visit the controversial Yasukuni war shrine on the anniversary of Japan's World War Two surrender next week.
Mr. Koizumi told a reporter Tuesday that his pledge is "still valid." If he goes next week, it would fulfill a campaign promise he made in 2001 to visit the shrine on the August 15th anniversary of the surrender.
The prime minister has visited the shrine yearly since taking office, but never on August 15th. His visits to Yasukuni have always been controversial because convicted war criminals are among the dead enshrined there.
Neighbors China and South Korea object to those visits because they say they glorify Japan's wartime aggression in the region.
日本首相小泉純一郎重申他將在下星期的二次世界大戰(zhàn)結束日本投降紀念日之時參拜有爭議的靖國神社的承諾。
小泉純一郎星期二對記者說，他的承諾“仍然有效”。如果小泉下星期前往靖國神社參拜，他將完成他在2001年競選時所做的在8月15號日本投降紀念日參拜靖國神社的承諾。
小泉純一郎自上任以來年年都去參拜靖國神社。但是從未在8月15號參拜過。由于靖國神社也供奉著日本二戰(zhàn)戰(zhàn)犯，所以小泉純一郎的參拜一直引起爭議。鄰國中國和韓國反對小泉的參拜。他們說，參拜美化了日本在該地區(qū)戰(zhàn)爭期間的侵略。