Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is not expected to visit the controversial war shrine on the anniversary of the end of World War II, most likely in a bit to avoid further tension with its neighbors South Korea and China.

Citing a government source, Kyodo News reported that Abe will not pay homage to Japan's war dead at the Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo on Aug. 15, the anniversary of the end of World War II, and also Liberation Day in South Korea.

The South Korean government has yet to comment

The shrine Abe and other prime ministers have visited in the past honors some convicted Class-A war criminals, among other war dead. South Korea and China view the shrine as a symbol of Japan's militaristic past, and have denoucned the visits of Japanese leaders to Yasukuni as attempts to glorify such a past.

Last month, Japanese media had reported that Abe would not likely visit Yasukuni this year so as not to upset Japan's neighbors.



From news reports