A U.S. expert on Asian policy, Mindy Kotler, has criticized Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for saying that going to Yasukuni is no different than an American president's visit to Arlington National Cemetery.
In her article "Sorry, Japan: Yasukuni is not Arlington" published in The National Interest, Kotler says "the two memorials share neither the same history nor spirit". Yasukuni focuses on idealization of the Pacific theater of World War II, while Arlington records the continuing sorrow of a nation.
"If Japan is to be the example of following international norms, at present, it is not doing a very good job on it," Kotler said.
"The visit to Yasukuni Shrine is an excellent example that Japan did not follow the international norms on issues of apology, reconciliation and contrition. It flies in the face of what every other country in the world would do. No German would go to a shrine that enshrines Himmler or Hitler."
"It cannot do things unilaterally. It has to work in concert with its neighbours and allies."
