Japanese PM will not visit Yasukuni shrine during autumn festival: Report
- 5 years ago
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reportedly won't be visiting the controversial Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo during its annual autumn festival later this week.
Citing sources, Kyodo reports... that Abe will instead be sending a ritual offering to the shrine through an official of his party.
The Yasukuni shrine commemorates more than 2-point-4 million Japanese war dead.
But controversially, it also honors 14 class-A war criminals.
Visits by Japanese leaders to the shrine have long angered South Korea and China, which suffered from Japan's past aggressions.
Abe has not visited the shrine since late 2013.
Citing sources, Kyodo reports... that Abe will instead be sending a ritual offering to the shrine through an official of his party.
The Yasukuni shrine commemorates more than 2-point-4 million Japanese war dead.
But controversially, it also honors 14 class-A war criminals.
Visits by Japanese leaders to the shrine have long angered South Korea and China, which suffered from Japan's past aggressions.
Abe has not visited the shrine since late 2013.