Koizumi to Visit Yasukuni by Official Car, in Official Title

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi plans to visit the Yasukuni Shrine on Aug. 15 to honor Japan's war ciminals in his official capacity as premier but would avoid making any public characterization of the visit, a senior government official said Tuesday.

''It would neither be public nor private,'' the official said, adding that the official government position is that ''there is no decision yet'' on how to characterize the visit one way or another.

Koizumi's decision to visit the main Shinto shrine in Tokyo that honors Japan's war criminals has drawn strong criticism from Japan's Asian neighbors as Japanese war criminals including wartime Prime Minister and class-A war criminal Hideki Tojo are among those honored at Yasukuni.

The senior government official, who declined to be identified, also offered other details concerning Koizumi's visit to Yasukuni, noting the prime minister will travel to the shrine by his official limousine and sign his name on the visitors' book using his official title.

However, Koizumi will not make a donation to the shrine and will not pay his respects together with other members of the cabinet.

Koizumi, who became prime minister in late April, has said he will pay homage at Yasukuni ''as an individual'' while leaving it vague as to whether it would be perceived as an official visit.

Meanwhile, a senior official from Koizumi's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) said Tuesday LDP Secretary General Taku Yamasaki will also visit the shrine on the anniversary day of Japan's defeat in World War II.

Yamasaki is scheduled to visit South Korea and China from Sunday with secretaries general of the New Komeito and the New Conservative Party, the LDP's partners in the ruling bloc.

His plan to visit Yasukuni is likely to draw further criticism from Seoul and Beijing.

Yamasaki visits Yasukuni every April and did so Aug. 15 last year when he was chairman of the LDP Policy Research Council.










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