Taro Aso sends offering to Yasukuni Shrine
Prime Minister Aso has sent an offering to the Yasukuni Shrine:
News of the offering — a $500 potted tree — comes a week ahead of the prime minister’s two-day trip to Beijing where he is expected to meet Chinese leaders.
Japan’s relations with China chilled in former prime minister Junichiro Koizumi’s time in office 2001-2006, in part because of his repeated visits to the shrine where Japanese wartime leaders are honoured along with the nation’s war dead.
Government officials have said that Aso has no plans to visit the shrine.
Facts missing from Reuters’ English language news article: Shinzo Abe had also sent potted sakaki plants to the shrine at festival times while Prime Minister, and apparently drew no major anger from China. Aso also had sent a potted sakaki plant as Prime Minister in Autumn of 2008. Both of Aso’s offerings were paid for with his own pocket money.
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