JAPAN LAWMAKERS EVERY YEAR OFFERS RITUAL DONATION TO THE WAR SHRINE IN TOKYO–THE SHRINE THAT TREASURE 2.5 MILLION JAPANESE WAR DEAD WITH AN ASSOCIATED MUSEUM PLAQUE “which paints Japan as a frustrated liberator of Asia and victim of WWII” - WHERE THE SAME TOMB REVERES HIDIKI TOJO THE MASTER MIND OF PEARL HARBOR–AND THE PRIME MINISTER OF SHINZO ABE VISITED IN THE FALL 2013 AND NOW GIVES AN RITUAL OFFERING IN FALL&SPRING 2014 AND THIS SPRING 2015

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent religious offerings Tuesday rather than visiting a Tokyo shrine that honors Japan's war dead, including convicted World War II leaders, a move less likely to draw controversy on his Southeast Asian trip and an upcoming U.S. visit.

Previous visits by Japanese leaders to pray at Yasukuni Shrine have drawn sharp rebukes from China and South Korea. Abe's last visit to Yasukuni, in December 2013, also was criticized by Washington.

The shrine said Abe sent "masakaki" offerings, with a wooden plate showing his name and title. He sent similar offerings last spring and fall at the shrine, which honors war criminals including wartime leader Hideki Tojo among the 2.5 million war dead.

Abe's move comes at a sensitive time as he has expressed hopes of meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping during an Asia-African conference this week in Indonesia, which will draw more than 100 leaders. No meeting between the two has been set.

"If there is an opportunity to hold talks in a natural way, I'm open," Abe told reporters before heading to Indonesia. "I hope to further improve our relations."

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