Apr 22 01:23 AM US/EasternTOKYO, April 22 (AP) - (Kyodo) — Eighty-seven Japanese parliamentarians, including 11 in government posts, visited the war-related Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo during its spring festival Wednesday morning as part of a biannual group event.
The move came a day after Prime Minister Taro Aso admitted that he made an offering for the three-day festival that began Tuesday, as well as for last year's fall festival, prompting concerns from China and South Korea ahead of his scheduled visit to China next week.
The participants on Wednesday included three senior vice ministers -- Wataru Takeshita of finance, Toshio Yamauchi of education and Sanae Takaichi of industry -- and eight parliamentary secretaries, said Yoshinobu Shimamura, a ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker who heads the nonpartisan group that promotes Yasukuni visits by parliamentarians.
Commenting on Aso's actions, Shimamura said, "He expressed his will, I think, by dedicating 'masakaki' since he was unable to attend (the event) because of his position," praising it as "a good thing."
Aso presented "masakaki" -- potted branches of the "sakaki" evergreen tree, considered sacred in Shinto religion -- to the shrine under the name "prime minister" and paid for the cost himself, sources close to the prime minister said Tuesday.
The Shinto shrine, dedicated to the war dead, is seen by Japan's Asian neighbors as a symbol of Japan's militarist past because it also honors convicted World War II criminals.
Members of Aso's LDP, the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan, the tiny People's New Party and the single-seat New Party Daichi were among the 87 participants.
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