Korean man arrested in Japan after trying to hang protest banners at controversial war shrine
Published: 22 Apr. 2026, 22:10
![Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, Japan [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/04/22/1fe84647-0c90-425a-8cf6-32284404c1d8.jpg)
Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, Japan [YONHAP]
A Korean man was arrested Wednesday by Japanese police on suspicion of obstruction of business after attempting to hang protest banners at Tokyo’s controversial Yasukuni Shrine, where a spring ritual was underway.
The man in his 60s, identified only by his surname Park, was stopped by shrine officials after trying to put up banners reading “Dokdo is our territory” and “Stop visits to Yasukuni Shrine, which enshrines war criminals,” at around 11 a.m. at the shrine in Tokyo, according to local media outlets, including NHK.
He had intended to hang the banners in front of a vehicle carrying an imperial envoy, according to shrine officials. During the spring and autumn rites, officials from the Japanese imperial household visit Yasukuni Shrine to present offerings on behalf of the emperor.
Park, who resides in Korea, reportedly entered Japan on Monday. He told police that he “did what he set out to do.”
Yasukuni Shrine commemorates about 2.47 million people who died in conflicts involving Japan, including civil wars before and after the 1868 Meiji Restoration and Tokyo’s aggression against its Asian neighbors. The shrine is widely seen as a symbol of Japanese militarism.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sent offerings to the shrine over two days starting Tuesday, drawing criticism from the governments of Korea and China.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM JI-HYE [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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