Yasukazu

Yasukazu is the Japanese name given to individuals who were conscripted or volunteered to serve in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. It refers to the namesakes of the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, Japan, which was established in 1869 to honor the spirits of the war dead. The shrine has a long history of being associated with the veneration of the Japanese military and its emperors.

To be given the name Yasukazu, an individual typically had to have been killed in action or have died while in service, often in combat or due to illness. According to Japanese tradition, these individuals would be enshrined and remembered as martyrs. The name often carried connotations of admiration, respect, and even fearful reverence.

The Yasukazu system of identification helped to reinforce the cult of the military and the Emperor in Japan, as well as reinforce social divisions between those who were "bringers of honor" (yūmeigumi) and those who were not. These namesakes were often remembered and honored in ceremonies and rituals at the Yasukuni Shrine, on national holidays.

However, in 1945, the Japanese military and the government officially closed the Shrine's most famous register and ceased all commemorative ceremonies. The Shrine was officially re-designated as a "Peace Museum" in 1952 and a new system of memorialization was put in place, allowing eastern traditions in the dedication of the dead to the family or friends. These changes highlighted the need for Japan to differentiate itself by showing respect and apologies to it's eastern neighbors.