Latest news with #Yasukuni
Yomiuri Shimbun
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Sumo Scene / Yasukuni Shrine, Holy Ground for Amateur Sumo Aiming for Greatness at Ryogoku Kokugikan
The Yomiuri Shimbun Yokozuna Hoshoryu performs the ring-entering ceremony at the honozumo tournament in the outdoor ring at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on April 14. The Summer Grand Sumo Tournament is underway at Tokyo's venerable Ryogoku Kokugikan, but are you aware there is another sumo ring in the city considered to be a 'sacred place' in the sport? It is the permanent ring at Yasukuni Shrine in the Kudan district. Located on the shrine's grounds, the ring has a long history dating back to the founding of Yasukuni in the early Meiji era (1867-1912). There are records of 'honozumo' — a ceremonial sumo tournament used to raise funds for shrines — being held there in 1869. In addition, the ring served as the venue for a total of four grand sumo tournaments in 1918 and 1919 after the former Kokugikan arena, located on the grounds of Ekoin temple, was damaged by a fire and rendered unusable. While Yasukuni's ring sits outdoors with only a simple roof, it has left an indelible mark in the history of sumo. Currently, a number of tournaments are regularly held there, mainly amateur collegiate competitions. Many of today's pros have strong memories of honing their skills there when they were students. Ozeki Onosato appeared quite a few times during his days at Nippon Sport Science University. Doing well at Yasukuni is considered an important step toward achieving success at the major competitions held at the Kokugikan, such as the national collegiate tournament and the general All-Japan Championship. From there, the prospect can aim for the next level of turning pro. In April every year, the Japan Sumo Association holds a honozumo tournament at Yasukuni. At this year's event, yokozuna Hoshoryu performed the ring-entering ceremony for the first time since being promoted to the top rank. He said it brought back memories of watching the collegians when he was a student at Nippon Sport Science University's Kashiwa High School in Chiba Prefecture. 'Wakatakakage was a Toyo University student at that time, and I remember how strong he was.' When informed that the shrine's ring had hosted grand sumo tournaments in the past, he said, pondering the history: 'That's amazing. I'm honored [to be here].' The Yasukuni ring will be busy again this year as the setting for collegiate competitions. At this other 'sacred place,' the young wrestlers will shed sweat and tears as they aim to turn pro and someday reach the pinnacle of yokozuna. — Kamimura is a sumo expert.
The Mainichi
24-04-2025
- Politics
- The Mainichi
Japan ministers steer clear of war-linked Yasukuni during festival
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- None of the current members of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's Cabinet visited the war-linked Yasukuni shrine during a three-day spring festival that ended Wednesday, partly due to diplomatic considerations. Ishiba sent a ritual "masakaki" offering to the shrine on the first day of the festival, prompting a protest from China and disappointing South Korea. The neighboring countries see the Shinto shrine as a symbol of Japan's past militarism. Ishiba and his Cabinet members also stayed away from the shrine, which honors convicted war criminals along with 2.4 million war dead, during last October's autumn festival, which coincided with a House of Representatives election campaign. Japan's relations with China and South Korea have been thawing after years of tension over wartime history and territorial issues. Past visits to the shrine by Japanese leaders, Cabinet ministers and lawmakers drew sharp rebukes from Beijing and Seoul. Japan invaded a vast swath of China before World War II and colonized the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945. Some members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party still visited the shrine during the latest festival. Among them are former economic security minister Sanae Takaichi and former industry minister Yasutoshi Nishimura. Both had close ties with the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who visited Yasukuni as premier in 2013. No sitting prime minister has paid a visit since then. Yasukuni added wartime leaders, including Prime Minister Gen. Hideki Tojo, to the enshrined deities in 1978, stirring controversy at home and abroad. Tojo was executed by hanging for crimes against peace.
Kyodo News
23-04-2025
- Business
- Kyodo News
Kyodo News Digest: April 23, 2025
KYODO NEWS - 9 hours ago - 23:00 | All, Japan, World The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News. ---------- Japan to emphasize benefits of free trade to U.S. in tariff talks: PM TOKYO - Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Wednesday that Japan will emphasize the importance of free trade in bilateral tariff negotiations with the United States, despite President Donald Trump pursuing his protectionist and growth-stifling "America First" policy. During a one-on-one parliamentary debate with opposition party leaders, Ishiba said Japan will highlight its contributions through investment in the United States. This follows Trump's decision to impose tariffs in a bid to rectify what he sees as imbalanced state of trade. ---------- Japan ministers steer clear of war-linked Yasukuni during festival TOKYO - None of the current members of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's Cabinet visited the war-linked Yasukuni shrine during a three-day spring festival that ended Wednesday, partly due to diplomatic considerations. Ishiba sent a ritual "masakaki" offering to the shrine on the first day of the festival, prompting a protest from China and disappointing South Korea. The neighboring countries see the Shinto shrine as a symbol of Japan's past militarism. ---------- Expo Osaka draws 1 million visitors in 11 days since opening OSAKA - The number of visitors to the World Exposition in Osaka reached one million on Wednesday, in 11 days since its opening, the organizers said. Speaking at an event to mark the milestone, Hiroyuki Ishige, secretary general of the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, said the expo will be a good holiday destination for a "once in a lifetime" experience during the upcoming Golden Week season. ---------- 2nd melted fuel sample retrieved from crippled Fukushima reactor TOKYO - The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power complex said it retrieved the second sample of melted fuel Wednesday from one of the reactors hit by a massive earthquake and tsunami over a decade ago. The debris extracted from the No. 2 reactor by Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. is believed to weigh 3 grams or less, out of the estimated 880 tons remaining in the Nos. 1 to 3 units that melted down during the nuclear crisis that began in March 2011. ---------- Japan PM to make 4-day visit to Vietnam, Philippines from Sunday TOKYO - Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is set to make a four-day trip from Sunday to Vietnam and the Philippines as part of Japan's summit diplomacy to maintain a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region, the government said Wednesday. Japan has been focusing on building stronger ties with Southeast Asian nations, as U.S. President Donald Trump has sparked uncertainty over the global economic and security situation. Ishiba's visit follows Chinese President Xi Jinping's recent trip to the region. ---------- Japan's chief negotiator slammed for "MAGA" cap photo with Trump TOKYO - The leader of Japan's main opposition party on Wednesday lambasted the country's chief negotiator on U.S. tariffs for taking a photo with President Donald Trump while wearing a red "Make America Great Again" cap presented to him in Washington. Economic revitalization minister Ryosei Akazawa, who is responsible for the tariff issue, "crossed a line," said Noda, chief of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, during a one-on-one parliamentary debate with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. ---------- Japan carmakers aim to bounce back with new EVs at Shanghai show SHANGHAI - Major Japanese automakers unveiled their latest electric vehicle models at the Shanghai motor show on Wednesday, hoping to bounce back in the Chinese market that has seen cutthroat competition with local carmakers amid a rapid shift toward new energy vehicles. About 1,000 companies including auto parts makers are participating in the biennial show through May 2, one of the world's biggest auto exhibitions, at a time when a tit-for-tat tariff war between the United States and China has cast a shadow over the car industry. ---------- Judo: Japanese women aim to rebound from Olympic setback at worlds TOKYO - After mustering only two medals at the Paris Olympics, the Japanese women's judo team faces a difficult road as it seeks to reassert its dominance at the world championships in June. Japan's nine-woman contingent in Budapest will feature three world championship debutants and only one previous winner in Uta Abe, a shock second-round loser at last summer's Olympics, who will fight for her fifth world title at 52 kilograms. Video: "Commons" joint pavilions popular among visitors at Osaka Expo
Kyodo News
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Kyodo News
Japan ministers steer clear of war-linked Yasukuni during festival
KYODO NEWS - 10 hours ago - 19:59 | All, Japan None of the current members of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's Cabinet visited the war-linked Yasukuni shrine during a three-day spring festival that ended Wednesday, partly due to diplomatic considerations. Ishiba sent a ritual "masakaki" offering to the shrine on the first day of the festival, prompting a protest from China and disappointing South Korea. The neighboring countries see the Shinto shrine as a symbol of Japan's past militarism. Ishiba and his Cabinet members also stayed away from the shrine, which honors convicted war criminals along with 2.4 million war dead, during last October's autumn festival, which coincided with a House of Representatives election campaign. Japan's relations with China and South Korea have been thawing after years of tension over wartime history and territorial issues. Past visits to the shrine by Japanese leaders, Cabinet ministers and lawmakers drew sharp rebukes from Beijing and Seoul. Japan invaded a vast swath of China before World War II and colonized the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945. Some members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party still visited the shrine during the latest festival. Among them are former economic security minister Sanae Takaichi and former industry minister Yasutoshi Nishimura. Both had close ties with the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who visited Yasukuni as premier in 2013. No sitting prime minister has paid a visit since then. Yasukuni added wartime leaders, including Prime Minister Gen. Hideki Tojo, to the enshrined deities in 1978, stirring controversy at home and abroad. Tojo was executed by hanging for crimes against peace. Related coverage: 70 lawmakers make cross-party visit to war-linked Yasukuni shrine Japan PM Ishiba sends offering to war-linked Yasukuni shrine, no visit eyed
Kyodo News
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Kyodo News
Japan ministers steer clear of war-linked Yasukuni during festival
KYODO NEWS - 4 minutes ago - 19:59 | All, Japan None of the current members of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's Cabinet visited the war-linked Yasukuni shrine during a three-day spring festival that ended Wednesday, partly due to diplomatic considerations. Ishiba sent a ritual "masakaki" offering to the shrine on the first day of the festival, prompting a protest from China and disappointing South Korea. The neighboring countries see the Shinto shrine as a symbol of Japan's past militarism. Ishiba and his Cabinet members also stayed away from the shrine, which honors convicted war criminals along with 2.4 million war dead, during last October's autumn festival, which coincided with a House of Representatives election campaign. Japan's relations with China and South Korea have been thawing after years of tension over wartime history and territorial issues. Past visits to the shrine by Japanese leaders, Cabinet ministers and lawmakers drew sharp rebukes from Beijing and Seoul. Japan invaded a vast swath of China before World War II and colonized the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945. Some members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party still visited the shrine during the latest festival. Among them are former economic security minister Sanae Takaichi and former industry minister Yasutoshi Nishimura. Both had close ties with the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who visited Yasukuni as premier in 2013. No sitting prime minister has paid a visit since then. Yasukuni added wartime leaders, including Prime Minister Gen. Hideki Tojo, to the enshrined deities in 1978, stirring controversy at home and abroad. Tojo was executed by hanging for crimes against peace. Related coverage: 70 lawmakers make cross-party visit to war-linked Yasukuni shrine Japan PM Ishiba sends offering to war-linked Yasukuni shrine, no visit eyed
