70 lawmakers make cross-party visit to war-linked Yasukuni shrine

A cross-party group of around 70 Japanese lawmakers on Tuesday attended the spring festival at the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, regarded as a symbol of the country's past militarism by its Asian neighbors.Group member Ichiro Aisawa, a lawmaker from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, said at a press conference, "We should never forget the history of how the spirits of many fallen heroes laid the foundation for a peaceful and prosperous Japan after the war."Yasukuni, however, has long been a source of diplomatic friction with China and South Korea, as the shrine honors Japan's warti…READ FULL ARTICLE