Cabinet members differed Tuesday in their views on Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's latest visit to Yasukuni Shrine, with some praising it, some expressing concern over its diplomatic effects and many refraining from making a judgment of any kind.
The ministers made the comments after Koizumi told them after the morning Cabinet meeting that he had paid a call at the Shinto shrine the day before. He explained that he offered his sympathies to those who died in battle, and vowed not to forget that Japan should never launch a war again and remember that today's peace and prosperity are founded on the sacrifices of the war dead.
Shoichi Nakagawa, minister of economy, trade and industry, and Seiichiro Murakami, minister of administrative reform, welcomed the visit.