Foreign Minister Taro Aso stirred up more controversy Tuesday over Yasukuni Shrine by proposing it be stripped of its religious status and turned into a state-run war memorial.
The proposal, however, looks to face an uphill battle because the Shinto shrine isn't likely to embrace the idea.
Aso said the primary purpose of the proposal is to depoliticize the religious institution and make sure it can be permanently maintained as a memorial using central government resources. He made no mention, however, about whether his envisioned memorial would still include the Class-A war criminals, the main diplomatic bone of contention.