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Memory, Nation, and National Commemoration of War Dead: A Study of J apanese Public Opinion on the Y asukuni Controversy
Author(s) -
Fukuoka Kazuya
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
asian politics and policy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.193
H-Index - 12
eISSN - 1943-0787
pISSN - 1943-0779
DOI - 10.1111/aspp.12015
Subject(s) - public opinion , prime minister , elite , political science , politics , public administration , law , political economy , sociology
The Y asukuni S hrine in T okyo is arguably one of the most controversial lieux de mémoire (sites of memory) in Asia. While the literature on the Y asukuni controversy has been growing, not much has been explored on the nature of J apanese public reactions to it. This study delves into J apanese public opinion during the K oizumi premiership (2001–2006) and reveals relatively coherent and structural, yet changing, public opinion on (1) the official Y asukuni visits by Prime Minister K oizumi, (2) the idea of building an alternative nonreligious national memorial, and (3) the anti‐ J apanese riots in C hina (and their ramifications on the understanding about the Y asukuni issue). Overall, the study highlights the observable gaps between Prime Minister K oizumi's Y asukuni policies and the underlying public perceptions of them, which also calls into question the conventional elite‐led model of public opinion formation.