Following the House of Representatives Budget Committee meeting on June 2, Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo called a news conference to comment on Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro's responses to Shii's questions on the Yasukuni Shrine issue. Shii said as follows:
"Mr. Koizumi made two important points in answer to my questions regarding Yasukuni Shrine's view of history and its view of Japan's past wars that justifies the war of aggression.
One is that Koizumi said he is well aware of Yasukuni Shrine's peculiar view of history and the war. I pointed out that Mr. Koizumi has visited Yasukuni Shrine knowing that the shrine's basic position is one of glorifying the war of aggression. This is a serious matter.
The other is that Mr. Koiuzmi stated that Yasukuni Shrine's position is not the same as the government's in response to my statement that Yasukuni's position of glorifying the war of aggression as a 'war of self-defense' is incompatible with the Japanese government's 'remorse for the war of aggression'.
If the prime minister really wants the public not to take his Yasukuni visit as an expression of his support for Yasukuni Shrine's views, the best way is for him to stop his Yasukuni Shrine visits.
Shii's televised questioning received favorable reactions from TV viewers. A man called the JCP head office to say, "I've been unfamiliar with the JCP, but I was impressed by Shii's questions that got to the core of the matter. Prime Minister Koizumi has disappointed me."
- Akahata, June 3, 2005
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