Yūshūkan Shrine

Yasukuni Shrine Tokyo

Back in the late 1980's I was fortunate enough to have to go to Japan a couple of times for work. on one occasion I was there for nearly four weeks and when I was left one weekend I wandered off around Tokyo and ended up at Daini Tori where after looking around I found the Yūshūkan (遊就館^?) is a Japanese military and war museum located within Yasukuni Shrine in Chiyoda, Tokyo. I noticed some WWII exhibits on show so went to look around the museum as well, these are some of the photos I took there,

 Part of the musium the frist time I visited

One of the items on show outside was this Type 96-15 Howitzer
I read this one was found in a cave and had some serious gouges on it from  the battle it was in

Going inside I spotted this  MXY7 Ohka. Reading the information board beside it told me that the ship being uses to transport these to one of the battles was sunk, thus depriving the Japanese Navy  of most of their planes

Not far away was this one manned Torpedo  Called Kaiten  
It was on loan from Perl Harbour Marine Corps

 First time I visited it was outside

This was a Yokosuka D4Y Bomber that was recovered from Yap Island

 Same plane looking down on it

Type 97 Chi-Ha Medium Tank recovered from Yap Island as well

 Origionaly it was outside along with some torpedos and an

This is A 14-cm 3rd Year Type naval gun from the Battleship Mutsu

 

Class 56 Setam locomotive from the Burma Railway number C56-31 which is on display beside the Type 89 15 cm Cannon

 This was taken of the train the first visit, th ecanon can be see a little furher behind the trees

The information plate on the C56-31 Locomotive at  Yūshūkan. Those were my photos from my visit to the museum It was the second time I had visited and the time I took my camera with me. I came away from the place with mixed views and felt it was a museum dedicated to those who gave their lives in defence of their country. The museum had only been open a short time and the exhibits you see outside in my photos are now inside and I'm glad they are looked after better now. I felt humbled to have visited the shrine and museum especially after going round the Mementos of deceased Japanese soldiers and airmen. Reading some of the letters they wrote and the ones from their loved ones brought home how they felt for their country and Emperor. If you are in Tokyo then visit if you can