Sumo Yokozuna Asashoryu visits Meiji Shrine – Could Yasukuni be next?
While the blogging community and the media seems to be making a big news story out of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to the Meiji Shrine over the weekend as a substitute or a possible build-up for a later visit to Yasukuni Shrine, none of the articles seem to mention the fact that Sumo Grand Champion Asashoryu also visited the shrine over the weekend:
Japan’s sumo grand champion performed traditional new year’s rites at a Tokyo shrine stamping powerfully before thousands of sumo fans and visitors.
The Mongolian-born Asashoryu, who holds the highest rank of yokozuna, offered the sacred rites along with two other sumo wrestlers at Tokyo’s Meiji Shrine.
“Sacred rites”? Perhaps that’s a secret code word for placating conservatives by indirectly honoring Japan’s imperialist past! And let’s not forget the 3 million Japanese people who also offered New Year’s prayers at the Meiji Shrine. Clearly they were a bunch of right-wingers!
Oh, oops, I forgot that Meiji Shrine just so happens to be one of the most popular shrines in Japan and that famous people go there all the time. Nevermind.
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How dare you spoil a good outrage with something as profane as facts!
It’s a really nice shrine btw. with a beautiful park around it, highly recommended to give it a visit! (also, there was a shop selling dogs clothing somewhere near the ares, which I remember to be “fascinating”
I’m with you guys. There’s nothing wrong with a trip to Meiji, by Asashoryu or Abe. I kind of get the feeling that drawing a connection between a Meiji visit and a Yasukuni visit is an easy way to get debate going, but doesn’t have much basis.