FOCUS: Japan LDP leadership race brings visits to Yasukuni shrine into spotlight

The leadership contest of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party has brought the contentious issue of visits to the war-linked Yasukuni shrine into the spotlight, with diplomatic experts warning of the potential for strain on ties with South Korea and China depending on who wins.How Tokyo's next leader handles the issue, with the shrine seen by Japan's neighbors as a symbol of its past militarism, will be crucial to sustaining cooperation with South Korea amid growing security challenges from China and North Korea.Three of the five candidates in Saturday's LDP presidential election visited…READ FULL ARTICLE