A look at the history and beliefs behind Japan’s controversial shrine to the war dead

Emperor Meiji first visited the site that would become one of Japan’s most controversial shrines in 1874. He vowed that the names of those who died for their country would live there forever.More than 2.4 million people are now honored at Yasukuni, a memorial and Shinto shrine in central Tokyo. Among them are 14 war criminals who are also commemorated each Aug. 15, when Japan’s surrender ended World War II.The shrine provides spiritual comfort for some who mourn relatives and others who visit to express gratitude. Yet for Asian countries that endured Japanese imperial rule and expansion, Yasukuni remains a symbol of Japan’s militarism.Visits by Japanese leaders frequently draw criticism from China and South Korea, which see them as a sign of insufficient remorse for Japan’s wartime aggression.Here’s a look at the history and religious background of a shrine that is both a sacred place of remembrance and a source of controversy.Imperial rule was restored in Japan in the 19th century after the fall of a military government that ruled for more than 250 years. A year into the new imperial era, in 1869, Emperor Meiji ordered the construction of the shrine that would later be renamed Yas...