Short History of Yasukuni Shrine
1868 The last samurai regime falls through a civil war, and the Emperor (Meiji) starts to reign Japan with ex-samurais on his side. Japan starts to open the nation and promote westernization and modernization.
1869 Yasukuni's Predecessor Tokyo Syo-kon Shya (Tokyo Shrine to Invite Spirits) is founded as a national shrine.
1879 Tokyo Syo-kon Shya is renamed Yasukuni Jinjya (Yasukuni Shrine).
1941 WWII for Japan starts with Pearl Harbor Attack, Hawaii.
1945 The Empire of Japan surrenders to the US; US General MacArthur who starts to govern Japan orders separation of shinto from the government.
1946 Yasukuni Shrine becomes a private religious body.
1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty is signed to put an end to a state of the War for Japan.
1952 Japan becomes fully independent again.
1975 The Emperor (Showa) visits Yasukuni Shrine as his last visit to the shrine though he visited the shrine often before WWII and in 1945, 1952, 1954, 1957, 1959, 1965, and 1969 after WWII.
1978 Former Prime Minister Tojo and other A-class war criminals (former top leaders of the Empire of Japan) who were executed by US troops through the Tokyo Tribunal of War Criminals are enshrined in Yasukuni Shrine, joining other more than 2.4 million fallen soldiers of the Empire since 1868.
Then, The Asahi Shimbun newspaper of Japan, a major liberal newspaper, objects against Nakasone's visit as a nationalist act. Then China suddenly starts to have a strong hostile attitude towards Japanese prime minister's visit to Yasukuni on August 15. As a result, most of Japanese prime ministers after Nakasone stop visiting Yasukuni Shrine on August 15.
1996 Prime Minister Hashimoto visits Yasukuni Shrine but not on August 15.
2001 Koizumi is elected as Prime Minister of Japan, starting to visit Yasukuni Shrine every year as prime minister of Japan but not on August 15 except in 2006.
2006 Prime Minister Koizumi visits Yasukuni Shrine on August 15. Koizumi steps down from premiership in September, though he is still in his term of office.
2013 Prime Minister Abe decides not to visit Yasukuni Shrine on August 15, since some US politicians are against the idea, according to some speculation.
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Luk 8:14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.