(Update) 2 Japanese Cabinet Ministers Visit Yasukuni Shrine

   Tokyo, Aug. 15 (Jiji Press)--Japanese agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi and Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato visited Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on Friday, the 80th anniversary of the country's surrender in World War II.
   Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba made a "tamagushi" ritual offering at the Shinto shrine in his capacity as president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party while refraining from paying a visit.
   The visits by Koizumi and Kato marked the sixth consecutive year for Japanese cabinet ministers to go to the war-related shrine on the anniversary.
   The shrine is regarded as a symbol of Japan's past militarism by neighboring countries such as China and South Korea as it enshrines Class-A World War II criminals along with the war dead.
   "It's important not to forget to show respect to those who sacrificed their lives for the country," Koizumi told a press conference after the shrine visit.

(2025/08/15-20:41)