Forty-three Diet members visited Meiji Shrine in Tokyo on Tuesday to mark the centennial anniversary of Japan's declaration of war against Russia that led to the 1904-1905 Russo-Japanese War.
The lawmakers of the Liberal Democratic Party and the opposition Democratic Party of Japan launched a study group to learn from the war. They said they will also discuss Japan's future, with an eye toward future political realignment.
"The era of the Russo-Japanese War was the origin of modernization and everyone became one by sharing their wisdom," said LDP member Takeo Hiranuma, former minister of economy, trade and industry. "We need to reconsider that spirit and apply it to current times."
The group includes former Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone, who retired as a Diet member last year, LDP lawmakers from a faction led by former policy chief Shizuka Kamei, and about 15 DPJ conservatives, including former party chief Yukio Hatoyama.
The Russo-Japanese War grew out of rival imperialist ambitions over Manchuria in northeastern China and the Korean Peninsula.
It resulted in a surprise victory for Japan, establishing it as a major world power. That a non-Western country could defeat an established power was a shock for both the West and across Asia.
Meiji Shrine honors Emperor Meiji (1852-1912), who reigned during the war and was the symbolic leader of the Meiji Restoration. The Meiji Restoration brought about the rapid modernization and industrialization of Japan. But it also saw the beginning of its imperialistic ambitions.
