Japan politicians visit controversial war shrine

TOKYO (AP) — Nearly 70 Japanese politicians, including two Cabinet ministers, have visited a war shrine that China and Korea slam as a symbol of Japan's imperialist past.

The Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo is controversial because, along with honoring war dead, it honors Japanese wartime leaders convicted of war crimes.

The visits Thursday were for an autumn festival. Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda did not join them, but the head of Japan's top opposition party, who is seen as the front-runner to succeed Noda, paid his respects there the day before.

Previous visits to the shrine by political leaders have been harshly criticized by China and North and South Korea, which bore the brunt of Japan's pre-1945 militarist march through Asia.