Shinzo Abe became the first sitting Japanese prime minister to visit Yasukuni Shrine since 2006, drawing a quick rebuke from China for paying respects at a site that memorializes war-dead including World War II criminals.
The appearance by Abe, 59, at the Tokyo site contrasts with his first administration in 2006-2007, when he avoided the shrine and oversaw an improvement in China ties. Japan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Cheng Yonghua, the Chinese ambassador to Japan, “severely criticized” Abe’s visit in a meeting with Vice Foreign Minister Akitaka Saiki.
