Former Japanese PM visits controversial Tokyo shrine

As Japan marked the 76th anniversary of its World War II surrender on Sunday, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited a shrine viewed by China and both Koreas as a symbol of wartime aggression.

Abe told reporters he had "prayed and paid respects for the spirits of those who sacrificed their precious lives for our country" at the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo.

Victims of Japanese actions during the first half of the 20th century, especially the Koreas and China, see the shrine as a symbol of Japanese militarism because it honors convicted war criminals among about 2.5 million war dead.

Abe's visit came after a few members of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's Cabinet, including Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi, who is Abe's younger brother, had also visited the shrine.

While Suga himself stayed away from the site, he did send a religious offering to the shrine, Japanese media reported.

IMAGE: AP