IHT: Japanese lawmakers visit controversial Tokyo war shrine
Dozens of Japanese lawmakers paid respects Tuesday at a war shrine seen by many as an antagonistic symbol of Tokyo's militaristic past, one day after leaders of Japan and South Korea urged an end to disputes over their history. The 160 lawmakers, including eight top government officials and their assistants, prayed at the Yasukuni Shrine, which reveres 2.5 million war dead, including executed war criminals, marking an annual spring festival, said organizer Yoshinobu Shimamura, a former agricultural minister. Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda did not visit. Shimamura, however, said Tuesday's visits were an annual event, not intentionally timed to fall between the visits by the leaders of South Korea and China, both victims of Japan's pre-1945 aggression. "We paid the respects as an appropriate action as the Japanese, but we have no other intentions. (The visits) should not cause any problems," Shimamura said after the prayer...more...
