Prime ministers must not visit Yasukuni Shrine if the constitutional principle of separation of state and religion is to be observed, according to an expert on Yasukuni issues at the University of Tokyo.
This principle, professor Tetsuya Takahashi said in a recent interview with The Japan Times, is the most important discipline for a democratic Japan in getting rid of the negative legacies of its prewar Imperial system.
"This is a matter that takes priority over diplomatic issues with China or South Korea," argued Takahashi, the author of the recent best seller "Yasukuni Mondai" ("Yasukuni Issues").