NYTimes | The three major national newspapers — Yomiuri, Asahi and Mainichi — have
been editorializing against a prime ministerial visit to Yasukuni,
especially in the year since Mr. Abe took office. And more important for
Mr. Abe and his nationalist supporters, Emperor Akihito has refused to
visit Yasukuni, as did Emperor Hirohito before him.
Mr. Abe’s ultimate goal is to rewrite Japan’s pacifist Constitution,
written by Americans during the postwar occupation, which restricts the
right to go to war. Here, too, Emperor Akihito disapproves, though he
has no political power under the Constitution. A few days before Mr. Abe
visited Yasukuni, the emperor, in comments marking his 80th birthday,
expressed his “deep appreciation” toward those who wrote the post-1945
constitution in order to preserve the “precious values of peace and
democracy.”
So, if history is the problem, Chinese and South Korean leaders will
find allies in Tokyo, and they should meet Mr. Abe to confront, to
negotiate and to resolve these issues. Their refusal to meet will only
give Mr. Abe license to do what he wants. Japan’s military adventures
are only possible with American support; the United States needs to make
it clear that Mr. Abe’s agenda is not in the region’s interest. Surely
what is needed in Asia is trust among states, and his actions undermine
that trust.
