Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi prayed at the Yasukuni shrine
early today, angering neighboring countries.

Visits by Japanese politicians to the shrine, which commemorates soldiers who
died in the country's service -- including World War II criminals.

Shrine visitors have been criticized by China and South Korea. They see it as
showing Japan's lack of remorse over its wartime atrocities.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has stayed away from the controversial
shrine as the country marks the 81st anniversary of its World War II
surrender.

Nevertheless, she didn't mention her country's wartime past in Asia or
remorse over it in an address today.

As many as 30,000 Taiwanese have been enshrined at Yasukuni. In 2007, former
president Lee Teng-hui made a pilgrimage to pay respects to his brother, who
died while fighting for the Japanese during World War II.

He too was criticized, but he defended his visit as being personal.

AP_JvW