Introduction
These are pictures from a rally and march that took place on July 7th in Tokyo. They were showing their support a visit by Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi to controversial Yasukuni Shrine on August 15th. In the past Koizumi has angered the right and left by visiting the shrine in official capacity, but not visiting it on the official anniversary of the end of the Pacific War. I start with a few shots of Yasukuni Shrine because the group that sponsored the event, the Eirei ni Kotaeru Kai (or "answer to our fallen soldiers association") is based at the shrine.
Participants were asked to come wearing white shirts (as you will see most everyone complied). The event hit one small snag when the marchers began to stage outside the amphitheater. Another protest group had occupied the front of the govt Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare. Of course, this group was leftist and labor oriented. The younger members rushed down to make sure the members of their group weren't hassled, and managed to do some taunting as well. The police came in and separated the groups (not that the leftists had actually been trying to approach the rightists), and the Eirei march commenced rather uneventfully.