Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday dedicated a ceremonial tree offering to contentious Yasukuni Shrine as it kicked off its annual spring ceremony the same day — a move likely to further anger old war foes China and South Korea.
The offering of the "masakaki," a decorative tree used in Shinto rituals at the war-linked shrine, came just days before U.S. President Barack Obama's visit here.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga played down the chances of the gesture marring the bilateral summit between Abe and Obama on Thursday.