Key facts
- Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi visited Yasukuni Shrine.
- China has criticized the visit.
- Yasukuni Shrine is viewed by neighboring countries as a symbol of Japan's past militarism.
Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi visited Yasukuni Shrine, a site that neighboring countries, particularly China, consider a symbol of Japan's past militarism. The visit occurred on an anniversary related to World War II. China has publicly criticized the visit by Japanese officials to the shrine.