Yasukuni shrine in Japan. Who knows about it? Should Jap PM visit? Who can visit?
601909
Koizumi is a total prat! He really should stop visiting Yasukuni - it's not like it makes any difference to most Japanese people...!!\n\nIt's totally true that only a few people who are 'commemorated' there were actually convicted war criminals - the bulk of the soldiers were perfectly normal men, and it's also important to remember that until certain insane actions in China the Japanese military actually had a very good reputation!  In other words, they were NOT all a bunch of psychos...!\n\nYou must also remember that Yasukuni shrine doesn't actually have any human remains in it, so if Koizumi WANTS to pray for lost soldiers he could do it somewhere else! He can't have another shrine made though, because it's against the constitution for the government to have anything to do with religion - ANOTHER reason for him to stop going! One or two regional courts in Japan have actually accused Koizumi of breaking the constitution (if that's the right way to describe it?!) by making a public display of visiting a religious place, but nothing has actually been DONE to stop him!\n\nAnother important point is that until the current head priest took charge of Yasukuni there were NO convicted war criminals represented at the shrine!! Since then the Emperor of Japan has never visited the shrine, although he did before. (I don't know if he can hold out if the government puts pressure on him though - he's just a grinning puppet!) And this head priest REFUSES to remove the criminals - which would actually solve all the problems, because that's what all the fuss is about!!
1001814
Kuriyama, I agree absolutely with you. However, I think you are wrong about Yahoo answers, the questioner could get something going here with like minded people to organise and get rid of the shits that run his country.
967789
This was a question much pursued by the Allies during the little publicized Japanese War Crimes Trials immediately following the end of  hostilities.\n\nIt has been said that gold and other valuables that the Japanese stole during their occupation of the Philippine Islands is still there, perhaps buried, or maybe hidden in a cave.\n\nAdventurers and historians, to this very day, are still searching for Yamashita's Stash.\n\nDo I believe it still exists, remaining uncongenial to discovery?\n\nI like to think so..
914829
Even during the seclusion, Japan had some trade going on, but exclusively with a few peoples.\n\nAnyways, I think you should mention something about it giving Japan a strong sense of unity or nationalism that other countries don't necessarily have. Or say something about how it allowed them to preserve their own culture longer than other countries that began extensive trading with other countries earlier.
544882
Yahoo.com type in Japanese symbols. love and family are common so theyll be on the first website your visit.
920210
How does one go about finding out where they can go to visit?\nI'm realy interested in doing something like that.?\nPlease help me if you can.
222906
Try these links:\n1. http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107666.html\n2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan
693693
China! Japan jointly dev missle defense w/ US, opened embassy in Taiwan, working on treaty to deploy combat forces alongside US in defense of Taiwan. Taiwan just dropped reunification cmte to huge PRC protest. Much more. Recall our lost navy spy plane/crew, Japan just chased a PRC sub out of their waters, PRC def buildup, ROC buyingg subs w/ US foreign aide. Cold war is started & the navy trains for a hot one.
1049969
Tagata Jinja is a Shinto shrine in Komaki just north of Nagoya, and as such is just one of many that can be found throughout Japan. It symbolizes the strong spatial and temporal linkage of the people to the community of Komaki, which until comparatively recently was a farming area. The Hounen festival at Tagata shrine is one of the most famous (or infamous?) festivals in Japan. Amongst foreigners visiting Aichi Prefecture it is frequently referred to as the "penis shrine", or "Japanese penis festival", primarily due to the ancient Hounen Matsuri (a festival celebrating fertility and renewal), which is held here every March 15th. \n\nEvery year on March 15 a huge two and a half meter wooden phallus is carried the short distance between two shrines attracting visitors from all over Japan and international media attention. The festival is fun with a lot of sake drinking, however the background of the festival is rather more serious. A shrine is a place of worship. It houses divine spirits and preserves the memory and practice of many aspects of Japanese culture. This file is intended to introduce some of the history, mythology, rituals, and customs of Tagata Jinja. \n\nHistory: Tagata Jinja is believed to be about 1500 years old, due to discoveries in 1935 of an ancient sword and extensive pottery fragments. These days the shrine is surrounded by suburbia, but until recently it was surrounded by a forest called "Agata", a name believed to have derived from the name of one of the rulers of the local area during the end of the Yamato period (approx 3rd-5th century AD). These rulers were warriors who settled the area from Nara as the emerging feudal Japanese state defeated and displaced indigenous Ainu tribes and pushed its frontiers to the east. According to the official history of the shrine, the daughter of the feudal lord was called Tamahime, and was bethrothed to Takeinadane. The tradition holds that Takeinadane was killed in a distant battle and that his wife and children (and powerful father in law) developed the area. Tagata Jinja stands on the site of Tamahime's residence, and she is the principal deity (called kami in Japanese) enshrined here. \n\nThe bell at Shinmei shrine is a little different from the usual  \nEnshrined as Tamahime-no-mikoto, she is worshipped in the main sanctuary of the building called the honden. This is the main shrine building. Behind and to the left of this structure, you can find another building called the Shinmeisha which contains a large number of natural and man-made objects, almost all of which are either shaped like a penis or have some phallic theme. It is important to understand that the worship is not of the phalli, but instead a worship of the earth, of the power that nature has through renewal and regeneration. It is this context that provides the phallus with its significance. \n\nFertility: With everything from penis shaped candy to suck on, phallus keychains, azuki filled dumplings in the shape of the male member, and small wooden objects to take home as souvenirs, it is easy to think that it is the phallus that is being worshipped. This is not the case. Each of the hundreds of objects in the shrine buildings are essentially offerings to the enshrined deity, and are venerated as such. In the past, the shrine often lended these phalluses to those in need, for example a couple wishing to conceive, an individual searching for a suitable spouse, or to cure childhood illnesses. The objects were returned with interest, for after the desired result was obtained the borrowed phallus was returned to the shrine, along with a new object donated in gratitude. However what the veneration is about though is the worship of a feminine deity. The kami is female and embodies fertility and fecundity. Not far from Tagata shrine there is another place of worship called Ogata (Oogata) Jinja, where the objects are representative of female genitalia. In an agricultural com
270064
1)  Mount Fuji in Japan.  Konohanasakuya, now revered as goddess Sengen, is the Shinto deity of the Sacred Mountain of Mount Fuji\n\n2)  The Francis Scott Key Bridge is in Maryland.  It opened in 1977
387265
Maybe you mean the shrine at Ise?  You can check out this article:\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Shrine_of_Ise\nThe official site for the shrine:\nhttp://www.isejingu.or.jp/english/\nOr some pictures from a google image search:\nhttp://images.google.com/images?q=ise+jingu&hl=en\n\nHope this helps!
953377
Would'nt have a clue.Would it not be wiser to put this question on the japanese site.
1006879
I believe that is Okinotori Island also known as Parece Vela. It's a tiny Island claimed by the Japanese as their territory but disputed by the Chinese.
464008
ummm, i'm not really sure.  i guess if you wanted to find out what samurai did, i'd recommend a visit to japan. =)
255609
Visit this site :\nhttp://www.himeji-castle.gr.jp/
78710
go to Japan and look around they are every where
344486
According to a site I found its also known as Kanamara Marsuri Festival and they take it quite serious.  A festival to celebrate fertility.  http://www.2camels.com/destination92.php3\nFrom what I am understanding here it involves Shinto statues and temples and for the most part it is important to even devout Shinto Families and Shinto Priests.\nhttp://www.answers.com/pink%20phallus%20festival?ff=1