Each year, some 5 million Japanese amble to a leafy corner of Tokyo to visit the Yasukuni Shrine, where they stand before an altar, bow twice, clap twice and bow again to the spirits of Japan’s war dead. Many then wander through a museum that glorifies Japan’s past militarism. Defenders of the shrine say that paying respects there is akin to visiting Arlington National Cemetery or a religious site. But to people across much of East Asia, especially in China and South Korea, the shrine and its adjacent museum rub raw the wounds of World War II. They say the shrine embodies an active effort by some in Japan to whitewash wartime atrocities and even justify renewed militarism.Full Story