Three Japanese ministers have visited a controversial war shrine in Tokyo, a place viewed by China and South Korea as a symbol of Japan’s militarist past.Japan’s Internal Affairs Minister Sanae Takaichi, National Public Safety Commission chief Eriko Yamatani and Women’s Empowerment Minister Haruko Arimura visited the Yasukuni Shrine Saturday.
The shrine honors some 2.5 million people who died in World War II and other conflicts.
The visit comes a day after a group of 100 Japanese lawmakers went to the site, where former Japanese military leaders, including 14 top war criminals who orchestrated mass atrocities in China and other areas, are believed to be enshrined.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also sent a potted tree in a ritual offering to the shrine on Friday.
Beijing and Seoul both condemned Abe’s move, saying it reminds Tokyo’s aggression during the Pacific War in 1940s.
“Japan should move forward to a bright future based on serious reflection on the past, not locking itself in the dark past,” the South Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Japanese politicians regularly visit Yasukuni. Abe’s visit to the controversial site in December last year also drew anger from Japan’s neighboring countries.
http://presstv.com/detail/2014/10/18/382693/japan-ministers-at-controversial-shrine/
