Yūshūkan

Coordinates: 35°41′43″N 139°44′36″E / 35.695382°N 139.743264°E / 35.695382; 139.743264
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Yūshūkan
Map
Established1882 (1882)
LocationKudankita, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan
TypeMilitary and war museum
Websitewww.yasukuni.or.jp/english/yushukan/index.html

The Yūshūkan (遊就館, lit. 'Place to commune with noble souls') is a Japanese military and war

revisionism of Japan's wartime actions and militaristic past.[3][4]

History

Front facade

The museum was initially established in 1882 to preserve and display Meiji Restoration-era artifacts of the Imperial Japanese Army. Following the First Sino-Japanese War and Russo-Japanese War, the Meiji Emperor issued his 192nd order in 1910, which ordered the preservation of military artifacts.[5] The building was expanded when the number of documents and artifacts increased after World War I, but was demolished during the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake. The structure was rebuilt by Itō Chūta, reopening in 1932.[6]

During

Occupation Authorities, and the shrine put the museum building up for rent in order to obtain funds. In November 1947 the Fukoku Mutual Life Insurance Company signed a rent agreement with the shrine and began using it as its Kudankita office. The company left the building in 1980, and it reopened as the Yūshūkan museum on July 13, 1985. The building has undergone several renovations since then, and the outdoor exhibitions were moved indoors and re-exhibited on July 13, 2002.

Image of the newer entrance area

Exhibitions

A6M Zero Model 52
fighter aircraft
JNR Class C56 steam locomotive no. C56 31 retrieved from Thailand
Kaiten Type 1 torpedo

The museum's exhibitions are centered on the shrine's dedication to the spirits of deceased Japanese soldiers. The museum also contains weaponry used by the Imperial Japanese Army, as well as Allied documents and exhibitions related to the modern Japan Self-Defense Forces and United States Forces in Japan. A cenotaph of a war horse is also located within the museum grounds.

First floor

The first floor entrance hall can be entered free of admission, and contains an

Type 96 15 cm Howitzer
are also displayed in this area.

The large exhibit room on the first floor contains a

Ohka Model 11 aircraft and Mutsu battleship
. Mementos of deceased Japanese soldiers are also shown in this room, including a uniform worn by a paratrooper, and various letters left behind by deceased soldiers. Photographs and portraits of the "Spirits of Yasukuni Shrine" (deceased Japanese soldiers) are shown at the end of the hallway.

Second floor

The entrance hall escalator leads to the second floor exhibit room. Various war-related materials are exhibited in chronological order, including different types of swords, armor, guns, and a golden flag wielded by the Imperial Japanese Army during the Boshin War. The war flag of the 321st Imperial Japanese Army division displayed in this room is the only one of its kind that has been recovered fully intact. The floor also contains a small cinema theater, which plays various documentaries related to the shrine and modern-day Japan.

The museum's Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka aircraft replica

Stores

The museum's gift shop sells regional souvenirs in addition to various books and documents concerning Yasukuni Shrine. Toy army flags and other military-related toys can also be purchased here, and English-language pamphlets are available for foreign visitors. The museum also houses a cafe where the items on the menu are created using ingredients and recipes resembling those actually used on Japanese Navy ships.

Revisionism

Main article: Controversies surrounding Yasukuni Shrine

The museum contains

revisionism in its accounts of Japan's actions in World War II, as well as glorifying Japan's aggressive militaristic past.[3][4]

Appearances in literature

References

  1. ^ "History". Retrieved 2008-03-23.
  2. ^ "yasukuni.jp" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2008-06-08.
  3. ^ a b Murphy, Paul. "Yasukuni Museum Tugs At Heartstrings To Keep Military Memories Alive". Asahi Shimbun News Service.
  4. ^ a b Simone, Gianni, "A trip around the Yushukan, Japan’s font of discord", The Japan Times, 28 July 2014
  5. ^ "Digital Archives". Retrieved 2008-06-08.
  6. Yasukuni Jinja
    . Retrieved 24 February 2012.
  7. Japan Times
    Retrieved March 16, 2016
  8. Japan Times
    Retrieved March 16, 2016

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Yūshūkan.

35°41′43″N 139°44′36″E / 35.695382°N 139.743264°E / 35.695382; 139.743264

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