Memory, Nation, and National Commemoration of War Dead: A Study of J apanese Public Opinion on the Y asukuni Controversy

Abstract

TheYasukuniShrine inTokyo is arguably one of the most controversiallieux de mémoire(sites of memory) in Asia. While the literature on theYasukuni controversy has been growing, not much has been explored on the nature ofJapanese public reactions to it. This study delves intoJapanese public opinion during theKoizumi premiership (2001–2006) and reveals relatively coherent and structural, yet changing, public opinion on (1) the officialYasukuni visits by Prime MinisterKoizumi, (2) the idea of building an alternative nonreligious national memorial, and (3) the anti‐Japanese riots inChina (and their ramifications on the understanding about theYasukuni issue). Overall, the study highlights the observable gaps between Prime MinisterKoizumi'sYasukuni policies and the underlying public perceptions of them, which also calls into question the conventional elite‐led model of public opinion formation.

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