TOKYO (Sputnik) — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a ritual donation to the Yasukuni Shrine, which is regarded by other Asian nations as a symbol of Japan’s past militarism, media reported Tuesday.
According to Xinhua news agency, Abe’s move comes to mark the 72nd anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II.
Abe is unlikely to visit the shrine in person, media reports suggested.
The Yasukuni Shrine was founded in 1869 and commemorates about two and half million civilians and officials as well as war criminals that died for the Empire of Japan, which existed since 1868 until 1947. Regular visits of Japanese officials to the shrine have been a contentious issue in diplomatic relations between Japan and its neighbors, who suffered from Japanese militarism.
