Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has sent a tributary gift to the controversial Yasukuni shrine, which honors class A war criminals.
Kyodo News reported Sunday Abe sent a ritual offering... of a tree... that's traditionally placed next to the shrine... in time for Yasukuni's annual Spring festival.
Yasukuni is controversial as it honors 14 Japanese leaders who were convicted by an Allied tribunal as war criminals.
Paying tribute there is seen in Korea and China as a symbol of Japan's past aggression and brutal colonialism, but Abe has sent an offering every year since he took office in 2012.