Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a ritual offering Monday to Yasukuni Shrine, a source of perennial diplomatic friction with China and South Korea.
Abe made the masakaki tree offering under the name of the prime minister, the war-linked shrine in Tokyo said.
Abe is likely to refrain from visiting the Shinto shrine during its four-day autumn festival through Thursday, ahead of expected summit talks with China and South Korea later this year.