THE MEANING OF THE YASUKUNI SHRINE RITES IN JAPAN AS A REPRODUCTION OF CULTURAL MEMORY
Keywords:
Yasukuni Shrine, Japanese Rites, Cultural Memory, Reproduction of Cultural Memory, China and South Korea ResponsesAbstract
Yasukuni Shrine is a source of conflict between China, South Korea, and Japan due to annual visits made by high-ranking Japanese officials. For the Japanese people, the Yasukuni Shrine is a site of cultural memory that serves as a place for ritual worship of ancestors considered to have contributed to the building of Japan. However, for the Chinese and South Koreans, it symbolizes Japanese war crimes and aggression, due to the enshrinement of Japanese soldiers whom they regard as war criminals.
The reproduction of cultural memory through ritual visits by Japanese officials, along with recurring news coverage and public opposition via TV, YouTube channels, print and digital newspapers, represents a process of transmitting cultural memory to future generations.
This research was conducted using the content analysis literature study method. The data were sourced from books, journals, and mass media related to the Yasukuni Shrine, the worship practices carried out by Japanese leaders, and the tensions that arise from visits by Japanese leaders and the Prime Minister to the shrine.
The research results show that the ongoing ritual visits by Japanese officials, combined with mass media reports and protests from China and South Korea, constitute a reproduction of cultural memory. This continuous cycle serves to reinforce and confirm the ongoing conflict over the Yasukuni Shrine among Japan, China, and South Korea.