Japan PM Takaichi Makes Ritual Offering to Yasukuni Shrine

Tokyo, Oct. 17 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made a ritual "masakaki" tree stand offering to war-related Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on Saturday, the start of its autumn festival.

She offered the masakaki in her capacity as prime minister.

Takaichi is expected to skip a visit to the Shinto shrine during the three-day festival, which runs through Monday. She did not visit the shrine during its spring festival in April or on the Aug. 15 anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II.

Yasukuni Shrine is regarded by countries such as China and South Korea as a symbol of Japan's past militarism as it honors Class-A war criminals along with the country's war dead.

Among members of her cabinet, Minoru Kiuchi, minister in charge of growth strategy, visited the shrine on Saturday.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]