The chief priest of Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo will resign due to his "extremely inappropriate use of words," the shrine announced Wednesday.
The resignation of the priest, Kunio Kohori, 68, will be formally accepted at a general meeting of the shrine on Oct. 26, according to the shrine. Kohori took his current position as the shrine's 12th chief priest in March this year.
Kohori said at a meeting in June at the shrine that the Emperor had never paid a visit to the shrine since his enthronement, giving the impression that the priest was criticizing the Emperor's long-standing trips to console the spirits of the war dead. This remark was reported by a weekly magazine published this month.
Kohori subsequently admitted having said what he was quoted as saying in the report, offered an apology to the Imperial Household Agency, and expressed his intention to resign.
The shrine is located in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward.
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