Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi criticized China and South Korea during his New Year's news conference Wednesday, claiming it is Beijing and Seoul, not Tokyo, that should work to resolve their long-standing gripes over his repeated visits to Yasukuni Shrine.
During the nationally televised news conference, Koizumi also predicted 2006 will be a year when "a majority of people" will feel Japan is on track for a long-awaited economic revival.
Speaking about his visits to the Tokyo shrine that honors Japan's 2.47 million war dead, as well as Class-A war criminals, Koizumi said, "China and South Korea should not close the door to (summit) talks, or negotiations only because of this single issue."