Tokyo’s controversial Yasukuni Shrine picks ex-admiral as chief priest
TOKYO: Japan’s Yasukuni Shrine has picked a former military commander as its chief priest, in a move that could stir controversy over a site that other Asian nations see as a symbol of Japan’s wartime aggression.
The shrine today named Umio Otsuka, a former maritime Self Defense Force (SDF) commander and one-time ambassador to Djibouti, as its new chief priest, marking the first time since 1978 that an ex-military official assumed the post.
The last retired military officer appointed as chief priest, Nagayoshi Matsudaira, enshrined 14 prominent convicted war criminals alongside the 2.5 million war dead honoured at the shrine, including World War II-era prime minister Hideki Tojo.
“I feel very honoured that the next stage of my life will be to serve this shrine for peace, where the spirits of those who gave their precious lives for the country are commemorated and…
