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 Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine is widely seen as a symbol of Japan's past
militarism and visits there by politicians anger China and South
Korea, which both suffered under Japanese occupation in the last
century and feel Japan has never fully atoned for its actions.
Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Sanae Takaichi, who is
a regular visitor to the shrine, went there on Saturday after
telling reporters this week she wanted to pay her respects to those
who have died in wars.
"The nature of the visit should not be a topic that leads to
diplomatic issues," Takaichi told reporters, saying she wanted to
honor those who had died for their country.
Domestic media reported that Eriko Yamatani, minister in charge of
abduction issues and head of the National Public Safety Commission
and Haruko Arimura, minister tasked with promoting women and gender
equality, also visited Yasukuni on Saturday.
The shrine honors wartime leaders convicted by an Allied tribunal as
war criminals along with millions of war dead.
Several other ministers could also visit this weekend as the shrine
celebrates its autumn festival.
Abe outraged Beijing and Seoul by visiting Yasukuni in person in
December 2013. He has said he visited not to glorify war, but to
honor those who fought and died for their country.
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But he has stayed away from the shrine since the 2013 visit, instead
sending offerings on key dates, seeking to tread a fine line between
his conservative convictions and the diplomatic imperative to
improve ties with China.
Japanese forces occupied parts of China before and during World War
Two, while Japan colonized Korea from 1910 to 1945.
On Friday, China expressed "serious concern" after Abe's offering
while South Korea said it deplored the offering to a the shrine,
which it called "the symbol of glorification of Japan's colonization
and invasive war".
(Reporting by Yuya Shino and Shinichi Saoshiro; Editing by Robert
Birsel)
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