- Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi calls statue depicting destruction of Japan’s chrysanthemum symbol “completely unacceptable”
ISLAMABAD: Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Saturday called on Russia to remove a newly unveiled war monument in the Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk, saying its depiction of a Soviet soldier destroying a stone marker bearing Japan’s chrysanthemum crest was “completely unacceptable.”
The monument was unveiled the previous day and portrays a Soviet soldier destroying a marker carrying the chrysanthemum emblem, a symbol widely associated with Japan.
Takaichi strongly objected to the installation, while Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi described the statue’s erection as “regrettable” and “not constructive” for relations between Tokyo and Moscow.
Monument Unveiled on World War II Anniversary
The unveiling was timed to coincide with Russia’s commemoration of its victory over Japan in World War II.
Japan announced its surrender on August 15, 1945, while the formal surrender documents were signed in early September of the same year.
In 2023, Russia renamed its September 3 commemoration from “The Day of the End of World War II” to “The Day of Victory over Militarist Japan and the End of World War II.”
Relations Already Under Strain
The dispute over the monument comes as bilateral relations have deteriorated further following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit last month to a Russian-held island in a disputed chain claimed by Japan off the coast of Hokkaido. Tokyo lodged a formal protest over the visit.
Relations between Japan and Russia have been strained since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Japan, along with its G7 partners, subsequently imposed sanctions on Russia and has continued to align itself with Western measures over the conflict.
The latest dispute over the Khabarovsk monument is likely to add further tension to already strained relations between the two countries.
BY: The Times Union
