Tokyo, Apr 23 (IANS): A cross-party group of about 70 Japanese lawmakers visited the Yasukuni Shrine here on Tuesday during its annual spring festival.
The lawmakers included Masahisa Sato, a senior vice foreign minister, and Seiichi Eto, a special advisor to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, reports Xinhua news agency.
Abe sent a ritual donation to the war-linked shrine on Sunday, the first day of the three-day spring festival.
The Japanese leader did not visit the shrine in person.
The shrine has long been a source of diplomatic friction between Japan and its neighbours as it honours convicted war criminals together with the war dead.
Yasukuni Shrine honours 14 Class-A convicted war criminals among 2.5 million Japanese war dead from World War II.