And Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit in December to the Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Japan’s war dead – including, since 1978, its most serious convicted war criminals – has re-opened long-festering wounds among Japan’s neighbors, who perceive a lack of sincere contrition for waging aggressive war and committing wartime atrocities. It has certainly added tension to Japan’s already-fraught standoff with China over their competing claims to the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea.
日本首相安倍晋三12月参拜靖国神社重新撕开了日本邻国从未愈合的伤口，靖国神社供奉着日本战争死难者，包括1978年来最臭名昭著的战犯。邻国认为日本对发动侵略战争及犯下战争暴行缺乏忏悔。而这无疑让日中之间因为对东中国海尖阁列岛/钓鱼岛针锋相对的主权要求本已令人忧虑的关系变得更加紧张。