An invitation to then Emperor Akihito from Yasukuni Shrine to mark the 150th anniversary this year of its establishment was declined last fall by his aides, it was learned Tuesday.
The shrine, seen by critics as a symbol of Japan's past militarism, contacted the Imperial Household Agency last September regarding a visit, according to officials at the two entities who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Yasukuni is said to have cited examples of emperors who visited the Shinto shrine in Tokyo on its 50th and 100th anniversaries.