Sanae Takaichi says a Chinese military move on Taiwan is "a survival-threatening situation" for Japan

On the 81st anniversary of Japan’s World War II surrender, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stayed away from Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine, whose enshrinement of 14 convicted wartime criminals has made it a flashpoint with China and South Korea. She appeared to be trying to avoid worsening tensions, but her ceremony speech did not acknowledge Japan’s wartime conduct in Asia or express remorse. Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and other politicians visited the shrine, prompting protests from Beijing and criticism from Seoul. The remark tied to the quote came in November, when Takaichi said a Chinese military move against Taiwan could put Japan’s survival in peril and might justify using force, a statement that enraged Beijing. The shrine decision and the Taiwan remark draw scrutiny because Asian neighbors closely watch how Japan faces its past and security choices.