Maciamo - I think a lot of it has to do with politics. I don't buy for one minute that Kaoizumi is making "personal" trips to Yasukuni. It is a political move to keep the far right in-line, pure and simple. Along the same lines, China and Korea get all uppity because there is a very vocal minority that they like to seem to be on the side of and Yasukuni is an easy target to be seen to be being tough on Japan.

Also, while there might be common elements across the Buddhist world, some sects place emphasis on different things. Chinese and Korean Buddhism might have a similar concept of good and evil, but go about expressing such feelings in different ways. I haven't had much contact with Chinese and Korean Buddhism so I am only speculating.

I was also talking in general terms - even some Buddhist sects in Japan might disagree with the statement, but then we start getting into practice vs. scripture debates; best left to another thread.

Plus, Yasukuni is such a flash point and the war years are still very fresh that looking at the situation without emotion is very near impossible.

I wasn't trying to lessen the anger many Chinese and Koreans may feel, but rather speak in more general terms about some general concepts of good, evil, and the afterlife. Plus, while Shinto and Buddhism borrow from one another, Yasukuni is a Shinto shrine, and a religious tradition further removed from China and Korea.

Twisted Mac - "Jap" is a term best avoided. Please add two more letters or use "jpn" if you must shorten the word.