Key facts
- Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi visited Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine on Saturday.
- The Yasukuni Shrine is seen by China and South Korea as a symbol of Japan's past militarism.
- The shrine also commemorates individuals convicted as war criminals.
- Visits by Japanese politicians to the shrine have drawn criticism from neighboring countries.
- Koizumi is a regular visitor to the shrine, often attending on the anniversary of the end of World War II.
Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi visited Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine on Saturday, an act that has drawn criticism from China and South Korea. These neighboring countries view the shrine as a symbol of Japan's past militarism and a sign of insufficient remorse for wartime atrocities. The shrine also commemorates individuals convicted as war criminals.