Image search results - "yasukuni" - JAPAN PHOTOS by Philbert Ono

Image search results - "yasukuni"

Yasukuni Shrine is Japan's most prominent shrine for the war dead. Near Kudanshita Station on the Tozai Subway Line. This is the first giant torii

Yasukuni Shrine during the Mitama Matsuri before dark.

Path to shrine

Yasukuni Shrine's main torii during Mitama Matsuri

Promenade to the shrine

Statue of Omura Masujiro (1824-1869) 大村益次郎, founder of Japan's modern army. Also pushed for the establishment of Yasukuni Shrine.

Spotlights create a silhouette of the statue of Omura Masujiro (1824-1869) 大村益次郎, founder of Japan's modern army.

A bon dance around the base of the statue.

Second torii

You wash your mouth hands here. Built in 1940 by Japanese living in the US. 大手水舎

Gate built in 1934. 神門

Spotlights hit the torii.

Back view of second torii

At night, 30,000 lanterns light up. A real summer spectacle.

Imperial crest on gate door

The lanterns are lit by lightbulbs, not candles.

Cherry blossom path to shrine

Tanabata streamers festoon the gate.

Noh stage and the cherry tree used as the barometer for Tokyo's cherry blossom blooming condition.

At 6:30 pm, a mikoshi portable shrine was paraded along the promenade.

Yasukuni Shrine, Torii and Haiden hall

Also see the video at YouTube.

Yasukuni Shrine, Haiden hall. After the Class-A war criminals (such as Hideki Tojo) were enshrined here, the late Emperor Hirohito (Showa) never worshipped here again. 拝殿

On Aug. 15, the anniversary of Japan's surrender and the end of World War II, Yasukuni Shrine is a busy with worshippers and police. These are police buses.

Police bus.

From Kudanshita Station to the first torii, the path is jammed with political activists not even related to the war or shrine.

Rising Sun flag

On Aug. 15 at Yasukuni Shrine, you can see former soldiers and nationalists dressed in military uniform marching in the shrine.

They march up to the end of the line of worshippers lined up to pray at the shrine. Then they turn around and head back.

Worshippers at Yasukuni Shrine on Aug. 15.

Praying at Yasukuni Shrine on Aug. 15.

Heavyweight judo Olympic gold medalist Satoshi Ishii (石井慧) was also at Yasukuni Shrine on Aug. 15, 2009. He was very kind and signed autographs, shook hands, and took photos with a lot of people.

One of the giant spotlights used to accent the mikoshi, torii, and night sky.

Noh stage

After the mikoshi, the Nebuta float and haneto dancers make an appearance.

Yushukan war museum 遊就館

Rassera-rassera!

Entrance to Yushukan war museum 遊就館

Yushukan war museum 遊就館

Nebuta float and haneto dancers. Also see the video at YouTube.Mitama Mtasuri at Yasukuni Shrine.

Inside Yushukan war museum. Impressive, but its version of Japanese war history is skewed. No exhibit on the Pearl Harbor attack either. 遊就館

Awa Odori dancers also performed.

Inside Yushukan war museum: Photos of the war deceased. Look carefully and you may find photos of Hideki Tojo and co.

Yushukan war museum 遊就館

Nebuta close-up

Memorial for military dogs which died.

Nice to see a bit of Aomori in Tokyo.

After the Nebuta made its way in front of the shrine, a short prayer was held.

Memorial for military horses which died.

Yushukan war museum 遊就館

Mother Statue 母の像

The shrine

Memorial for sunken naval warships

The Nebuta then went back to the promenade.

Memorial for Justice Radhabinod Pal, an Indian judge during the war crimes tribunal. He was a judge who voted for the innocence of Japan's war criminals.