Why Yasukuni Shrine is Being Targeted and Vandalized

Recently, Yasukuni Shrine (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) experienced an act of vandalism when the word "toilet" was found scrawled on its stone pillar. Thereafter, on July 9, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Public Security Bureau (PSB) obtained arrest warrants for three Chinese nationals in connection with the act. They subsequently arrested one, Jiang Zhuojin (29), who lives in Asaka City, Saitama Prefecture.

Jiang was arrested on suspicion of vandalism and desecration of a place of worship.

Suspects Identified and Wanted

According to the warrant, the suspects spray-painted the pillar between approximately 9:55 PM and 10:00 PM on May 31. Inscribed with the shrine's name, these sacred pillars are known as "shrine markers." The vandalism caused an estimated ¥4.2 million JPY (approximately $26,859 USD) of damage.

PSB has also obtained arrest warrants and issued wanted notices for the other two suspects. They are Dong Guangming (36) and Xu Laiyu (25). According to the PSB, Dong allegedly did the spray painting while Xu filmed the act. Jiang, seen accompanying them in the video, was involved in activities such as purchasing spray cans.

*Visitors pay respects at Yasukuni Shrine on August 15, 2022. (© Sankei by Yuhisa Hagiwara)*

Dong and Xu arrived in Japan on May 29. Immediately after the incident, they departed for Shanghai, China, from Haneda Airport on June 1 on an early morning flight.

This act of graffiti was posted on the Chinese video-sharing app Xiaohongshu. A man believed to be Dong, using the alias "Ironhead," climbed onto the pedestal of a stone pillar. Mimicking urination, he then proceeded to spray red paint on the pillar.

Past Incidents

Over the years, Yasukuni Shrine has become a target for anti-Japan activists. Foreigners have repeatedly targeted it in the past by arson, bombing, and other vandalism incidents.

In this recent case, the perpetrator also filmed himself defacing the pillar before posting the video on social media. Similar illegal acts have occurred in the past, with the culprits recording themselves committing the offenses. In December 2018, a Chinese man and woman were arrested when they entered the shrine during a protest against the Nanjing Incident. On the approach to the shrine, they unfurled a banner saying, "Don't Forget the Nanjing Massacre." Afterward, they burned an object resembling a memorial tablet, filmed the scene with a phone, and shared the video online.

There have been previous cases that escalated into diplomatic issues involving other countries. In December 2011, a Chinese national allegedly doused Yasukuni Shrine's main wooden gate in gasoline and set it on fire, partially scorching it.

The same individual was later detained after throwing a Molotov cocktail at the Japanese embassy in Seoul, South Korea. After learning of the perpetrator's confession to the Yasukuni Shrine arson from the South Korean police, the Japanese government requested his extradition. However, South Korea refused, citing a ruling from the Seoul High Court that classified him as a "political prisoner."

Japan-China Extradition Hurdles

Furthermore, Japan and China do not have a bilateral extradition treaty. Therefore, there is no mandate for the detention and transfer of suspects who flee to the other country. This presents significant a obstacle to apprehending the two suspects.

In another case, an explosion was heard in the restroom at Yasukuni Shrine in a 2015 incident. A South Korean man emerged as a suspect in the ensuing investigation. Although he initially returned to South Korea after the incident, he later voluntarily returned to Japan, making his arrest possible. Police officials remarked, "China is unlikely to allow a citizen facing certain arrest to just leave the country."

Yasukuni and Chinese Nationalism

*China's President Xi Jinping attends the Leaders Retreat at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in San Francisco, California, on November 17, 2023. (©REUTERS/Carlos Barria)*

Commentator Seki Hei highlighted the background of attacks on Yasukuni Shrine. "Since the Jiang Zemin era, China's anti-Japan education has portrayed Yasukuni Shrine as a symbol of Japan's wartime aggression," he explained. He also pointed out Xi Jinping's recent wolf warrior diplomacy, characterized by a highly aggressive approach to criticizing foreign nations. Seki Hei suggests this diplomacy has had a negative influence on Chinese citizens. "There's a growing sentiment that any action abroad seen as bolstering Chinese patriotism is acceptable."