Comicomment: The ghosts Japan refuses to put to rest

Japanese leader Sanae Takaichi on Wednesday made a monetary offering to the notorious Yasukuni Shrine, one day after she sent a ritual offering to the shrine in the name of "prime minister." It is not only a fresh affront to the victims of wartime aggression, but also a signal that challenges the moral foundations of the postwar order.

The Yasukuni war shrine is a spiritual tool and symbol of Japanese militarists’ war of aggression. It honors 14 convicted Class-A war criminals of World War II among the enshrined, glorifying Japan's militarist past.

A country that beats the drum for expanded military power while its leader worships convicted war criminals is sending a clear signal. The shadow of militarism is no relic of the past. If Japan continues down its perilous path of militarist revival, it will ultimately bring disaster upon itself.