When a Prime Minister Prays

China and Korea are throwing a tantrum again. Why is it this time? Because, in keeping with tradition, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited the Yasukuni Shrine to pray for the souls of all those who gave their lives in the service of HM the Emperor and the nation of Japan and, as we have already established, these countries do not believe anyone in Japan should have freedom of religion, the freedom to worship how and where they choose. This is a freedom they claim to give their own people (in the case of China a largely false claim) but they do not think it should be allowed in Japan. Why is this? Because, as the Chinese and Korean republics tell their own people and as most of the biased news media of the world reports it, they say that the shrine honors "war criminals". Of course, that is absurd. The shrine honors all who gave their lives, it was not built just to honor war criminals. It is true that some of those whose names are listed there among the dead are some who were convicted as war criminals by the Allied forces after World War II. But if people would educate themselves, they would see that this is not so simple. After all, we have already detailed how men like General Yamashita and General Homma were falsely executed for war crimes, blamed for atrocities they did not order or even know about and both men who fought honorably and did everything they could to treat friend and foe alike humanely. Even if one considers someone like General Hideki Tojo just consider that he was executed for the crime of "waging aggressive war" in violation of international law -except that there was no such international law at the time these events happened and if waging an aggressive war makes someone a war criminal then all of the Allied countries would be guilty as well. Those quick to take offense should also remember that many Koreans and even Chinese are also honored in the Yasukuni Shrine because they served alongside the Imperial Japanese forces in the war as well. China and Korea should stop trying to twist the facts and distort history just to encourage prejudice and bigotry against Japan. Especially in Korea, this is a time when all neighbors of Communist China are in increasing danger and should be coming together in mutual support. PM Abe has said he wants peace and has reached out to achieve it only to have his hand slapped away. As long as goodwill is met with such distortions and hostility, Japan has no other choice that to guard her own security carefully.