Japan observed the 62nd anniversary of its World War II surrender Wednesday as all but one of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet ministers refrained from visiting Yasukuni Shrine.
Prior to Wednesday, all 16 ministers had said they would not visit Yasukuni, but one suddenly changed her schedule and visited the shrine.
Sanae Takaichi, minister in charge of gender equality and Okinawa-related issues, visited the shrine in an apparent effort to avoid a rare absence of all Cabinet members at Yasukuni on the surrender anniversary.