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Everyday prayers at a controversial Shinto shrine

Yakuni is a Shinto shrine in the centre of Tokyo viewed as the most controversial memorial in the country. It honours Japan’s war dead but is also seen as a rallying point for nationalists and conservatives and those who want a move to a more military state. The shrine symbolises the two facets of Shinto: the ancient peaceful faith and Japan’s military past. So what draws people to the shrine?

(Photo: Prayers written and hung up at the shrine. Credit: Janak Rogers)

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3 minutes