Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Monday that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a ritual offering to Yasukuni Shrine in a private capacity and that the government is not in a position to comment on his action.
Abe on Saturday sent a masakaki ceremonial tree to mark the annual autumn festival at the controversial shrine in Tokyo that is seen as a symbol of Japan's past militarism by many in Asia. By not visiting the shrine in person, Abe appears to be hoping to avoid derailing the thaw in Japan's ties with China and South Korea, while also giving a nod to his conservative base.
China's state Xinhua News Agency said that "the move is still deemed provocative" because the shrine is a source of friction between the two countries.