TOKYO, Oct. 18 -- Japanese Internal Affairs Minister Sanae Takaichi on Saturday visited the notorious Yasukuni Shrine during its autumn festival, according to Japan's Kyodo News.

The visit came after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday sent a sacrifice to the shrine under the title of the prime minister, while the prime minister was in Italy for an Asian- European summit.

Takaichi revealed her plan to visit the controversial shrine, which honors 14 convicted class-A Japanese war criminals along with war dead during WWII, earlier this week and was urged by a ruling party leader not to pay the visit in a move to avoid angering neighboring China and South Korea.

On Friday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said China firmly opposes Abe's shrine offering and urged Japan to face up to its past history.

Japan's ties with its neighboring countries are frayed due to historical issues such as the Yasukuni Shrine visits by Japanese ministers and lawmakers and the "comfort women" issue, as well as for territorial disputes.