Moscow, April 25: Russia has sharply condemned the Japanese government under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for what it calls a deliberate erasure of historical accountability, after senior Japanese officials and over 120 lawmakers visited the controversial Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo during its spring festival. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated on Friday, April 25, that Tokyo is actively whitewashing the most brutal crimes committed by Japanese militarists during World War II.

Zakharova's Accusations Against the Takaichi Administration

Speaking at her regular weekly press briefing, Zakharova said that PM Takaichi's decision to send a ritual "masakaki" tree offering to the Yasukuni Shrine — in her official capacity as Prime Minister — reflects her administration's "absolute ignoring of the lessons of history and the whitewashing of the most brutal, monstrous crimes of the past."

The Yasukuni Shrine is widely regarded across Asia as a symbol of Japanese militarism and wartime aggression. It enshrines the souls of approximately 2.5 million war dead, including 14 convicted Class-A Japanese war criminals from World War II — a fact that has long drawn fierce protests from China, South Korea, and other nations that suffered under Imperial Japanese occupation.

Zakharova urged Japan to "fully acknowledge the results of World War II" and abandon its accelerating policy of remilitarisation, as reported by Xinhua news agency.

Mass Shrine Visits by Japanese Officials and Lawmakers

On Wednesday, April 23, the second day of the shrine's three-day spring festival, Haruko Arimura, chairperson of the General Council of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), visited the shrine and made a monetary offering on behalf of PM Takaichi in her capacity as LDP president.

Minoru Kiuchi, Japan's Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy, also visited the shrine on the same day, becoming the first sitting cabinet member under the Takaichi administration to do so. A cross-party group of over 120 Japanese lawmakers made a collective visit on the same occasion.

The visits triggered widespread criticism not only internationally but also within Japan itself, where pacifist groups and opposition politicians questioned the constitutional and diplomatic wisdom of such moves.

Russia's Concerns Over Japan's Remilitarisation

Zakharova also addressed Japan's recent easing of arms export restrictions, calling it a "deliberate departure" from the country's pacifist principles enshrined in its post-war constitution — specifically Article 9, which renounces war as a sovereign right.

She further criticised the participation of Japanese combat troops in US-Philippine joint military exercises, stating that Russia has consistently raised concerns about Japan's expanding military footprint under its alliance with the United States. Moscow warned that such steps "only increase tensions in the Asia-Pacific region."

This comes amid a broader pattern of Japan's defence posture shifting dramatically since 2022, when Tokyo announced plans to double its defence budget to 2% of GDP by 2027 — a historic break from its post-WWII pacifist stance that has alarmed both China and Russia.

Historical Context and Diplomatic Fault Lines

The Yasukuni Shrine controversy is not new. Former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's repeated visits between 2001 and 2006 caused severe diplomatic ruptures with Beijing and Seoul. More recently, PM Shinzo Abe's visit in December 2013 drew condemnation from the United States, China, and South Korea simultaneously — a rare diplomatic alignment.

Notably, Japan and Russia have an unresolved territorial dispute over the Kuril Islands — called the Northern Territories by Tokyo — which has prevented the two countries from signing a formal peace treaty since the end of World War II. Moscow's sharp rhetoric on the shrine issue is therefore layered with this ongoing geopolitical friction.

Critics argue that the Takaichi administration's shrine diplomacy, combined with aggressive defence spending, signals a deliberate ideological shift within the LDP — one that risks isolating Japan from its Asian neighbours precisely when regional stability is most fragile, given tensions over Taiwan and the South China Sea.

What Comes Next

International observers will be closely watching whether China and South Korea issue formal diplomatic protests over the Yasukuni visits, as both nations have historically recalled ambassadors or cancelled summits in response to such moves. The autumn Yasukuni festival, typically held in October, will be the next flashpoint to watch.

As Japan continues to expand its military capabilities and deepen security ties with the United States and Australia under the Quad framework, the ideological signals sent by shrine visits carry strategic weight far beyond domestic politics — shaping how Tokyo is perceived across the entire Indo-Pacific.