No Cabinet ministers visited the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo during its three-day autumn festival that ended on Saturday.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba only made a ritual masakaki tree offering to the Shinto shrine, which is regarded as a symbol of Japan's past militarism by neighboring countries as it honors Class-A war criminals along with millions of war dead.
Only a few Liberal Democratic Party members visited the shrine. Japan is in the middle of the official campaign period for the Oct. 27 Lower House election. Among the handful was former economic security minister Sanae Takaichi.
A nonpartisan group of lawmakers is arranging to make a collective visit after the Lower House election.
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