A side note....Japan isn't the only nation doing it.
One of the most vocal Nation against Yasukuni War shrine knows alot about how to
"White Wash Their Ugly Past" as you put it... and that Nation is... CHINA.
Anyone tried asking the Communist Party in China to account, explain or apologize for the madness during the years of Mao's
Great_Leap_Forward (estimated death of 18-24 million)... or the more infamous
Cultural_Revolution (estimated death of 30 million)....
Has the ruling party in China ever admitted and/or apologize for the action of
Mao ?? I don't think so... instead, they build Mao a $100m Yuen, Golden Statue to mark his 120th Birthday....
http://news.sky.com/story/1182107/china-marks-maos-birth-with-10m-gold-statue
http://online.thatsmags.com/post/golden-mao-statue-revealed-in-shenzhen
IMHO... instead of using the Shrine visit to rise nationalism in China... it may be better for them to 'put their money where their mouth are'... and prove to the rest of the World that China isn't just the Pot, that call the Kettle... Black. :think: