Check Takaichi's Yasukuni Offering and Seoul's Foreign Ministry Response

Korea's foreign ministry expressed deep disappointment and regret the same day.

What happened at Yasukuni Shrine on October 17?

Yasukuni Shrine's autumn festival runs for three days, from the 17th to the 19th. Citing the Nikkei, Money Today reported that Takaichi sent a masakaki on the first day under the name "Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi." A masakaki is an offering of a sakaki tree in a pot.

Among cabinet ministers, Health, Labour and Welfare Minister Kenichiro Ueno and Growth Strategy Minister Minoru Kiuchi also sent offerings. Citing Kyodo News, Segye Ilbo reported that Takaichi plans to hold off on visiting during the festival. That is based on reports as of the afternoon of the 17th; the prime minister herself has not formally announced that she will stay away.

What did Korea's foreign ministry say?

In a spokesperson's commentary released on the 17th, the foreign ministry expressed "deep disappointment and regret" that responsible Japanese leaders had once again sent offerings to or visited Yasukuni Shrine. The commentary described the shrine as a place that glorifies Japan's past wars of aggression and enshrines war criminals.

The second paragraph of the commentary sets out what Seoul wants. It urged Japanese leaders to face history squarely and show reflection and remorse over the past through action, and stressed again that this is the foundation for future-oriented Korea-Japan relations built on trust between the two countries and their peoples. The commentary does not name anyone.

Why does Yasukuni keep becoming a diplomatic issue?

According to Segye Ilbo, Yasukuni Shrine honors about 2,466,000 people who died in the civil wars around the Meiji Restoration and in the wars waged by imperial Japan, most of them connected to the Pacific War. Class-A war criminals executed after the Tokyo Trials, including former Prime Minister Hideki Tojo, are also enshrined there.

That enshrinement of war criminals is exactly what the foreign ministry's commentary pointed to. Money Today noted that the last sitting prime minister to visit in person was Shinzo Abe in December 2013, which drew protests not only from Korea and China but also from the United States.

What has Takaichi done so far?

Here is the timeline from Money Today's report. As a cabinet minister, including as internal affairs minister, Takaichi visited on the end-of-war anniversary and during the spring and autumn festivals, but she has not visited in person since becoming prime minister.

Money Today said former prime ministers Shigeru Ishiba and Fumio Kishida also sent offerings without visiting while in office.

How should you read her pledge to uphold the Murayama Statement?

Citing the Asahi Shimbun and others, Segye Ilbo reported that on the 16th, the day before the offering, Takaichi told the House of Councillors Budget Committee that previous cabinets' views on history would not waver and that the Murayama Statement was naturally included. The Murayama Statement was issued in 1995 by then-Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama, expressing remorse and apology for the damage and suffering Japan caused Asian countries.

The same article also cited remarks Takaichi made criticizing the Murayama Statement as a first-term lawmaker in 1995. It said that after taking office, on November 7, 2025, she formally stated that she would uphold previous cabinets' views on history, including the statement. The article read this change as a response to diplomatic fallout, which is the newspaper's own analysis.

What should you watch next?

The festival ends on the 19th. You can check the foreign ministry's press release list to see whether more ministers or lawmakers visit before then and whether the ministry issues another statement. The foreign ministry commentary and news reports in this post were checked on October 17, 2026.