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Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent religious “masakaki” offerings yesterday to the controversial Yasukuni shrine that honours Japan’s second world war dead, including convicted war criminals.
His decision to make masakaki offerings for the spring festival rather than attend in person to pray is thought to indicate caution because of his government’s efforts to mend relations with China.
The premier’s previous visits to the shrine have drawn sharp rebukes from Beijing and Seoul in light of their countries’ suffering at the hands of Japanese militarism.
Shrine officials said that his offerings had come with a wooden plate showing his name and official title.
The Yasukuni shrine commemorates 2.5 million war dead, including wartime prime minister Hideki Tojo who was hanged for war crimes in 1948.
Mr Abe has recently voiced hopes of meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping during an Asia-Africa conference this week in Indonesia, where they will be among more than 100 leaders taking part.
