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| Shindo's Yasukuni shrine visit irks Japan's neighbours | Shindo's Yasukuni shrine visit irks Japan's neighbours |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| China and South Korea have expressed annoyance after Japan's internal affairs minister visited a shrine to dead soldiers, including war criminals. | China and South Korea have expressed annoyance after Japan's internal affairs minister visited a shrine to dead soldiers, including war criminals. |
| Yoshitaka Shindo said he visited the Yasukuni Shrine to pray for peace. | Yoshitaka Shindo said he visited the Yasukuni Shrine to pray for peace. |
| But Beijing said the visit showed the current Japanese government had a "mistaken attitude" to history. Seoul described it as a "retrograde" step. | But Beijing said the visit showed the current Japanese government had a "mistaken attitude" to history. Seoul described it as a "retrograde" step. |
| Japan's neighbours often accuse Tokyo of failing to show the necessary remorse for World War Two atrocities. | Japan's neighbours often accuse Tokyo of failing to show the necessary remorse for World War Two atrocities. |
| Mr Shindo is a regular visitor to the shrine, which honours thousands of Japanese soldiers. | |
| After his latest visit, he told reporters: "I renewed my commitment to never cause such a tragedy as I prayed for peace before the people who lost their lives in the war. That's what I do every time I visit the shrine." | After his latest visit, he told reporters: "I renewed my commitment to never cause such a tragedy as I prayed for peace before the people who lost their lives in the war. That's what I do every time I visit the shrine." |
| Mr Shindo's grandfather, Tadamichi Kuribayashi, commanded Japanese forces during the legendary battle at Iwo Jima in the closing stages of WW2. | Mr Shindo's grandfather, Tadamichi Kuribayashi, commanded Japanese forces during the legendary battle at Iwo Jima in the closing stages of WW2. |
| The shrine is a perennial flashpoint, and visits by prominent Japanese figures always prompt protests from Japan and South Korea. | The shrine is a perennial flashpoint, and visits by prominent Japanese figures always prompt protests from Japan and South Korea. |
| Among those it honours are dozens who were convicted of war crimes at an allied tribunal after WW2. | |
| Fourteen of those war criminals were convicted of planning and leading Japanese aggression. | |
| The most controversial figure venerated is Prime Minister General Hideki Tojo, who was executed for war crimes in 1948. | |
| Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, whose grandfather was a leading politician during and after WW2, visited the shrine late last year. | Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, whose grandfather was a leading politician during and after WW2, visited the shrine late last year. |
| He was the first prime minister to go to the shrine in seven years. | He was the first prime minister to go to the shrine in seven years. |