Peace activists rejoiced Sunday over the fact that Prime Minister Naoto Kan and his Cabinet didn't visit Yasukuni Shrine this year, while conservatives slammed the decision.
At the Japan Education Center in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward, around 190 people welcomed Kan's decision to stay away. The group included citizens who lost relatives in World War II and who generally object to politicians visiting Yasukuni Shrine.
"We have been calling on the government to refrain from visiting Yasukuni Shrine," said Kenichi Kato, a member of the National Liaison Conference of the Association of War Dead for Peace in Tokyo who organized the event. "And this year, our wishes finally came true."