Japan’s PM sends custom offering to famous Yasukuni Shrine

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Saturday morning sent a ritual offering to the notorious Yasukuni Shrine in central Tokyo on the 70th anniversary of Japan’ s unconditional surrender in World War II.

Abe, who just delivered a closely watched statement the previous day to mark the anniversary, dedicated a “masakaki” tree offering to the shrine which honors Japan’s war dead, including 14 Class-A convicted criminals of World War II.

In the statement, Abe, a well-known historical revisionist, reiterated previous governments’ apologies over Japan’s past wartime actions, but refrained from offering a fresh apology himself. He also claimed that Japan’s future generations must not “be predestined to apologize” for the country’s role in the conflict, which elicited criticism at home and abroad. Enditem

Source: Xinhua