Recently, a controversial plan has emerged on social networks involving a shrine manager trying to build a shrine for former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and worship it as a deity. The plan sparked widespread and heated discussion. It is worth mentioning that there have been celebrities in Japanese history who have been worshipped as gods after their deaths, but it is rare for Shinzo Abe to be "rapidly deified" less than a year after his death.
Currently, the building called Abe Shrine is under construction in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, and is headed by Sushin Miyaji, the honorary of Yoshisui Shrine. For the construction of the shrine, they chose birch wood and spent about 3 million yen, and it is reported that they plan to place a bronze statue of Abe in the shrine. Miyaji Sato claimed to have the consent of Abe's wife Akie, and claimed that Abe had given him a dream in a dream, hoping that he could complete the shrine as soon as possible to eliminate Abe's regrets and calm his soul.
However, the move was criticized by many Japanese netizens who thought it went too far and questioned why Abe should be worshipped as a god. Some Japanese netizens pointed out that during Abe's administration, Japan's economy was weak and people's income did not grow. In addition, they mentioned that Abe had been caught in a cult scandal, which attracted a lot of criticism.
It is worth noting that after Abe's assassination, the current Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held a state funeral, but this move was also strongly opposed, and almost no people supported such an approach. Kishida's approval rating has also slipped as a result, showing that the Japanese people are dissatisfied with and even hate Abe.
The controversy has sparked a broad debate about how to view the remembrance and evaluation of politicians. Critics highlight the gap between Mr. Abe's legacy and his enshrinement as a god. Indeed, some of Abe's policies and decisions during his tenure as prime minister have been widely criticized, including poor responses to economic issues and controversies over military and historical issues. They believe that the rapid deification of Abe is a manifestation of excessive glorification of his policies and behavior, ignoring his shortcomings and mistakes. Critics have further questioned the appropriateness of the practice and whether the worship of politicians as gods is consistent with Japanese social values.
In addition to political controversy, the event raises concerns about remembrance and historical memory. Worshipping Abe as a god involves evaluating and interpreting historical events and politicians. Throughout Japanese history, some celebrities have been enshrined as gods because of their contributions and influence. However, such behavior can also raise concerns about abuse of power and excessive personality cults. For society, how to strike a balance between commemorating politicians and supervising power is a topic worthy of serious consideration and discussion.
To sum up, the controversy over Shinzo Abe's worship as a god has caused deep thinking in Japanese society. This is not just a controversy over specific political figures, but also an important issue of remembrance, historical memory, and social values. In the interweaving of public opinion, people's considerations on how to properly treat past and present political leaders, and how to balance heroism and reality, deserve in-depth discussion.