A group of lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties paid a visit to Yasukuni Shrine on Tuesday for its annual spring festival, just one day after South Korean President Lee Myung Bak said in Tokyo he would focus on building friendly ties with Japan.
A total of 62 Diet members from the Liberal Democratic Party, Democratic Party of Japan and Kokumin Shinto (People's New Party) attended the festival at the war-linked shrine.
They included former farm minister Yoshinobu Shimamura, Kokumin Shinto leader Tamisuke Watanuki and Eriko Yamatani, a special adviser to Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda. Two senior vice ministers and five parliamentary secretaries were also present.