TOKYO (AP) 鈥 Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Japan鈥檚 war dead, including convicted World War II war criminals, was vandalized again overnight Monday.
鈥淚t is deplorable that an act seeking to denigrate the shrine鈥檚 dignity has happened again,鈥 the shrine said in a statement.
In May, . A Chinese suspect was arrested in July.
Neither the police nor the Shinto shrine would go into details of the latest vandalism, saying an investigation was ongoing.
Japanese media reports said graffiti reading 鈥渢oilet鈥 in Chinese, written with what appeared to be black markers, was found Monday morning on a stone pillar near the shrine鈥檚 arch.
Asian nations that suffered from Japanese aggression before and during World War II .
Convicted Class A war criminals, including Hideki Tojo, Japan鈥檚 wartime prime minister, are among the 2.5 million Japanese war dead enshrined at Yasukuni. The shrine itself, a dramatic-looking building with sweeping roofs, also includes in its grounds .
Every year on Aug. 15, the anniversary of Japan鈥檚 surrender in World War II, there is close scrutiny of which Japanese politicians visit Yasukuni to pray for the war dead. Many regular Japanese go there to pray for their family members and friends, regardless of their political views.
This year, some politicians, including Defense Minister Minoru Kihara, on Aug. 15. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who has announced he will not seek reelection next month, did not go but sent an offering.
Emperor Naruhito and his late father Akihito have not visited Yasukuni.
The maximum penalty for property damage is three years in prison and a 300,000 yen ($2,000) fine.
___
Yuri Kageyama is on X:
