Visits to the Yasukuni shrine always cause a storm

Four Japanese ministers have marked the 58th anniversary of the country's surrender at the end of World War II with a visit to a controversial war shrine.

The Yasukuni shrine honours Japan's 2.5 million war dead, including wartime Prime Minister Hideki Tojo, who was hanged for war crimes in 1948.

Trade Minister Takeo Hiranuma and Agriculture Minister Yoshiyuki Kamei were among those who visited the shrine. Tokyo's nationalist governor, Shintaro Ishihara, was also present.

Before and after 15 August every year is always a troublesome time for Sino-Japanese relations Renmin Ribao - China

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who sparked outraged from his Asian neighbours with past visits to the shrine, did not attend. Instead he marked the end of the war at secular ceremonies.

Mr Koizumi has visited Yasukuni every year since taking office in April 2001, but has always avoided the sensitive 15 August anniversary.

China reacts

Despite the prime minister's absence, the visit has still ruffled feathers in China.

"Before and after 15 August every year is always a troublesome time for Sino-Japanese relations," says the Communist Party paper Renmin Ribao.

"The many senior officials who are still paying respects at the Yasukuni Shrine only shows a weak concept of history and contempt for the feelings of victims from China and other Asian countries."

The paper describes the visit as "a typical display of self-centred and narrow nationalism" on the part of the Japanese.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on its web site urges Japan to face up to its past. "Correctly recognising and treating that part of history... is conducive to the healthy and steady development of friendly and neighbourly bilateral relations."

Secular option

The Japanese press are divided over the visit. An economic daily, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei), fears the damage that it might do to relations with China, believing it to be the "principal obstacle" to improving the atmosphere between Beijing and Tokyo.

Foreign countries should not meddle in the internal affairs of another country. They should not do so even if Yasukuni shrine honours Class-A war criminals Sankei Shimbun - Japan

It notes that good relations are particularly important prior to the forthcoming six-way talks on the North Korean nuclear programme.

The paper calls on both sides to make "mutual concessions" to resolve the issue.

This view is echoed in the Asahi Shimbun. The paper expresses disappointment at the government's decision on 14 August not to fund a proposed secular alternative to a war shrine.

"At such a memorial, visitors would not have to worry about the religious and ideological connotations of visits to the Yasukuni Shrine," it says.

The paper says that disputes in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) over the issue led the project to be shelved. "Aides to Koizumi regard the issue as a hot potato knowing it could kindle an unwanted internal feud before the party presidential election in September."

But the Sankei Shimbun disagrees. It does not feel that it is necessary to make any changes to the 15 August memorial ceremonies. "

It calls on China to stop criticising Japan over the Yasukuni visits. "Foreign countries should not meddle in the internal affairs of another country. They should not do so even if Yasukuni shrine honours Class-A war criminals."

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.