The influence of the Japanese rightist forces finds a vivid expression in the issue of visit to "Yasukuni Shrine."

The LDP, a group of ultra-rightists of Japan, said in its "action program" for 2009 that it should carry forward the visit to "Yasukuni Shrine" as a responsible conservative political party.

It is zealously egging the prime minister on to visit the shrine in every way.

It asserts that it is a natural duty of the leader of Japan to pay respects to the departed soul of those who died for the sake of the country and he should continue paying a visit to it.

It is zealously encouraging the prime minister in his visit to it by wooing the rightist forces within the party to bluster that the prime minister's visit is a domestic issue and for him to visit the shrine despite the pressure at home and abroad is of great significance.

Pursuant to it, Prime Minister Aso recently presented potted branches of commemorative trees to "Yasukuni Shrine" on his behalf.

On May 11 former Prime Minister Abe said that there should be an environment so that the prime minister might legitimately visit "Yasukuni Shrine."

Endless militarist remarks are heard from Japan and the reckless moves of the ultra-right conservative groups openly denying, distorting and whitewashing the past history of aggression are being connived at, allowed and patronized there.

To lay a political and military foundation for overseas aggression is the most important issue for the Japanese rightist elements whose primary goal is militarization.

Their priority task is to train a large number of innocent youngsters in such a manner as to be capable of carrying out a war of aggression in future by taking advantage of the neo-fascist atmosphere mounting throughout the society.

The influence of the rightist forces is growing stronger in Japan as the days go by.

The rightist conservatives who have emerged hardcore and leading forces of the political circle are keen to realize their ambition they failed to do in the past, holding sway over the political mainstream in Japan. This cannot be construed otherwise than a very grave development.

Incumbent Prime Minister Aso strong in the rightist tendency has frequently denied the past history of aggression before and after he took office.

Recently he described the Pacific war ignited by the Japanese imperialists as the "greater East Asia war." Under the Aso regime the textbook for secondary schoolers distorting history passed through the government's screening on April 9.

The said history textbook describes the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592 as "dispatch of troops", not as aggression, and the Pacific war as the "greater East Asia war."

Militarism has already become a main source of Asian aggression in Japan influenced by the rightist conservative political view as it has a dangerous political and military impact, far from remaining a departed soul.

In recent years the Japanese Diet has deliberated and adopted various kinds of military laws and regulations or revised ones almost every year, thus establishing in the main a legal system including a legislation for wartime mobilization. As a result, the conversion of Japan into a military power has already become part of the state strategic system.

Japan has steadily increased the military spending and developed highly scientific and technological equipment, thereby bolstering up the "Self-Defense Forces" as the armed forces fully capable of conducting operations and fighting a real war.

Japan dispatched destroyers of the "Maritime Self-Defense Force" to the waters off Somalia on the basis of the enlarged interpretation of the "law on SDF" under the pretext of performing its "international duty" and "ensuring the security" in the international sea route. On May 18 it sent an advance party to dispatch P-3C of the MSDF there in a bid to get it start fulfilling its real duty overseas.

The military muscle of Japan is rapidly increasing as it has already grown strong as a result of huge military spending and the backing of the rightist forces at home.

It is clear that militarist Japan may launch reinvasion any time.

The danger of Japan's veer to Right lies in the revival of militarism.

The revived Japanese militarism, the second war force, may plunge not only Asia but the rest of the world into a horrible war disaster again.

This is the reason why the international community should heighten the vigilance against the rightist trend of thought in Japan and strictly guard against it.