護国の英霊
The Spirits of the War Dead refers to the collective souls of soldiers and others who died in service to Japan, particularly honored through Shinto ritual and national memorial practice. These spirits are traditionally enshrined and venerated at sites such as Yasukuni Shrine, reflecting beliefs that the dead become protective ancestral or national kami through proper rites. Memorial observances for these spirits remain a significant, and often debated, part of Japan's religious and national commemorative life.