everyone (in the association) avoided," Kishimoto said.

But this all changed several years ago, when the group's chairman, LDP House of Representative lawmaker Makoto Koga, and other association members started to speak publicly about removing the war criminals from Yasukuni, Kishimoto said.

Debate over the enshrinement has heated since Koizumi began making his contentious visits to the shrine in 2001, despite backing away from his promise to visit on Aug. 15.

Comments by Koizumi over the past two weeks have everyone guessing that he will finally make an Aug. 15 visit Tuesday.