Japanese PM makes monetary offering to war-linked Yasukuni Shrine

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Monday sent a monetary offering known as "tamagushi" to the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine at the last day of its three-day autumn festival, reported Kyodo News.

Earlier on Saturday, Takaichi sent a potted plant offering known as "masakaki" to the notorious shrine, a symbol of Japanese militarism and wartime aggression, under her title as prime minister, as the shrine's three-day autumn festival began, according to Kyodo News.

Also on Saturday, some Japanese cabinet members and lawmakers visited the war-linked shrine. 

A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Japan on Saturday condemned the Japanese politicians, saying no matter what excuses Japanese politicians offer, their actions cannot conceal their real intentions of whitewashing war criminals, covering up wartime atrocities, distorting historical facts and paving the way for accelerated remilitarization.

Yasukuni Shrine honors 14 Class-A war criminals convicted after World War II, and it has long been a source of diplomatic tension between Japan and neighboring countries.

Visits and ritual offerings by Japanese officials at the shrine have repeatedly drawn domestic and international criticism, particularly from countries such as China and South Korea, whose people suffered greatly under Japan's wartime aggression.