Yasukuni Shrine on book cover no trivial matter

Dalian University of Technology Press issued a statement on Tuesday acknowledging its mistake while selecting the cover of a tourism book on Japan. They said the book will be recalled and the editor held responsible.

The acknowledgement came after a snapshot of the cover, showing the Yasukuni Shrine — where 14 Class-A war criminals of the then imperialist Japan are worshipped — was circulated online. It was a folly to include the photograph of what is to all victims of the war a symbol of imperialist aggression on the cover page.

The incident should make the publishing house more vigilant in selecting photographs for book covers, as such insensitivity can prove costly.