Shrine decision draws both praise and protest

Peace activists rejoiced Sunday over the fact that Prime Minister Naoto Kan and his Cabinet didn't visit Yasukuni Shrine this year, while conservatives slammed the decision. At the Japan Education Center in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward, around 190 people welcomed Kan's decision to stay away. The group included citizens who lost relatives in World War II and who generally object to politicians visiting Yasukuni Shrine. The day marked the 65th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II and the first since the Democratic Party of Japan took power last year. It is also the first time in nearly 30 years the entire Cabinet has refrained from visiting the contentious shrine.

At Yasukuni Shrine in Chiyoda Ward, hundreds of conservatives came to the 24th annual gathering to commemorate the war dead, where attendees criticized the absence of the prime minister and his Cabinet this year.

They issued a statement that slammed Kan and stressed the need for the prime minister to visit to Yasukuni.The statement also criticized Kan for issuing an apology to South Korea on the centennial of annexation, adding that such an apologetic attitude has restricted Japan's foreign diplomacy and drawn criticism from other countries.

" In my opinion , I agree with the Japanese people that they want their prime minister to visit this place because it was an important day of their country. I think the best way to solve this problem was the apologize form the prime minister. "