Yasukuni Shrine: A Controversial Memorial Honoring Japan's Fallen Heroes
Emperor Meiji made a significant visit to the future site of Yasukuni Shrine in 1874, where he expressed his commitment to immortalizing the names of those who sacrificed their lives for Japan. Today, over 2.4 million individuals are commemorated at Yasukuni, a prominent memorial and Shinto shrine located in central Tokyo. This includes 14 war criminals who are remembered annually on August 15, the day marking Japan's surrender at the end of World War II.