Yasukuni Shrine said on the 11th that unauthorized access to its website may have leaked the personal information of about 14,500 registered users, the Sankei Shimbun reported, exposing a politically symbolic institution with limited IT defenses.
The breach hit the online site the shrine runs for offerings and distributed items, the shrine said in a notice on its website. Names, email addresses and the dates member accounts were registered were among the data leaked.
No leak of credit card information or similar data had been confirmed at the time of the investigation after the breach was discovered, according to the shrine.
The shrine said it has suspended the site for the time being and will contact those affected by email in turn.
“We deeply apologize for the enormous trouble and concern this has caused everyone who uses our services.”Yasukuni Shrine, statement on its website
Yasukuni Shrine, in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward, honors Japan's war dead, including convicted wartime leaders, and remains a recurring point of friction with neighboring countries.