Japan's Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi visited Yasukuni Shrine on August 15, 2026, the anniversary of Japan's 1945 surrender, while Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi did not attend. The shrine honors 2.5 million war dead, mostly Japanese, including convicted war criminals from Imperial Japan's actions in the 1930s and 1940s. This follows Shinzo Abe's 2013 visit that drew international criticism.