Group of 90 Japanese lawmakers visit war-linked Yasukuni shrine

A cross-party group of around 90 Japanese lawmakers on Tuesday visited the war-linked Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo for its fall festival, a move expected to irritate some Asian neighbors who view it as a symbol of Japan's past militarism.The group, mainly composed of conservative lawmakers, has routinely visited the Shinto shrine on the occasion of its biannual festivals in the spring and fall as well as the anniversary of the end of World War II on Aug. 15.The lawmakers last visited the shrine at the time of its spring festival this year, but they refrained from offering prayers at Yasukuni on…READ FULL ARTICLE