ABSTRACT
Yasukuni Shrine is a controversial commemorative site to Japan’s war dead. The Shrine’s museum, Yūshūkan, attracted millions of visitors after Japan’s victory in the Russo-Japanese War. After Japan’s defeat in 1945, the museum was closed. Since reopening in 1986, it has become a sacred site for two groups: Japanese nationalists, and fans of popular culture entertainment featuring the stories of Yasukuni’s enshrined eirei (‘glorious dead’). This chapter lists some of the war dead who have featured in popular culture entertainment, and also exposes the problems caused when politically sensitive commemoration of the war dead clashes with the Cool Japan strategy.
